


The Ruins

by pianoleah



Category: Killing Eve (TV 2018)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Assassins & Hitmen, Drama, F/F, Female Relationships, Gay, Lesbian, Love, Sex, Spies & Secret Agents, Villaneve, wlw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-11
Updated: 2019-08-26
Packaged: 2020-04-24 15:31:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 40
Words: 30,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19176199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pianoleah/pseuds/pianoleah
Summary: Pretend the ending of season 2 never happened. This story picks up in episode 8 with Eve and Villanelle walking in the ruins. They’re in love, they run away together, and have lots of sex. Their adventures continue as they work together doing unofficial jobs for Carolyn.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Dear readers,
> 
> I wrote this last summer just for fun as I was riding the bus to work each day. I’m really happy that so many people have enjoyed it. Thanks for reading!
> 
> Leah x

Eve heard the words Villanelle was saying. Cabin. Alaska. Dinner. But she was too shaken to give a proper response. It was all she could do to put one foot in front of the other and follow Villanelle. As they walked amongst the ruins, Eve’s grasp on reality started to slip, and her mind raced from one thought to the next.

“Villanelle, we gotta get outta here,” she stammered.

Villanelle paused when she heard the growing panic in Eve’s voice. She stopped walking and focused her attention on Eve, who suddenly seemed to be lost in a faraway place.

“Eve,” she said softly, “Shhh, look at me.” She knew Eve just needed some reassurance, some direction. Villanelle walked to her and stroked her hair gently. “Look at me,” she said again, with a slightly more demanding tone. Eve lifted her head and met Villanelle’s gaze, and when their eyes locked, a spark of arousal shot through Eve’s whole body. 

“Listen, this is what is going to happen. I am going to get us a car. There’s a town not far from here, a few hours drive, and we can stay at the hotel. I have money, Eve. We will change our clothes and prepare for a longer journey tomorrow, by train. I am going to get us somewhere safe. You have to trust me, okay? You have to trust me now. Eve, I... I love you.”

“Yes,” Eve uttered, still captivated by the intensity of Villanelle’s eyes. Villanelle’s lips formed a small smile. “You are so adorable,” she said to Eve. “Come on.” She grabbed Eve’s hand and guided her along the path.

As they walked, Eve noticed Villanelle’s calm and focused demeanor, and she couldn’t help but admire it. After everything that just happened, Eve felt confused and scared and somewhat helpless, but Villanelle had everything completely under control. She was never flustered. Never uncertain. In this moment Eve trusted her implicitly and knew she would follow her anywhere. Her old life was over.

They approached a small street lined with parked cars. Villanelle explained that Eve should wait around the corner while she retrieved a car, the one that was easiest to start without the key. Eve listened, still shaken to the core by her involvement in this precarious situation. As Villanelle casually walked away, Eve stood with her back against a brick wall, her mind still racing. She thought about the Twelve and how their violence would undoubtedly disrupt her life again. She wondered how she would handle things with Niko. She clung to that wall almost motionless with her fingers pressed against the cool brick until Villanelle pulled up in a silver sedan a few minutes later. “Get in,” she said.

They didn’t speak for several minutes. They both knew they were not yet out of danger. But as they drove, and the city shrank in the rear view mirror, they began to relax, to breathe a little. Eventually Eve let out a chuckle.

“What? What is so funny?” Villanelle replied. Villanelle took her eyes off the road for a bit too long to take in Eve’s smile, her hair, the fact that she was sitting next to her now. She had dreamed of this day, of rescuing Eve from her boring life. Now that she was here, Villanelle was quite pleased.

“I’m just... I mean… What just happened? I feel like I’m out of my mind,” Eve answered.

Villanelle reached over and placed her hand on Eve’s thigh. Again, a spark traveled through Eve’s entire body. Eve sat in wonderment, amazed by the power of Villanelle’s touch. Such a small gesture, but it soothed her thoroughly. Villanelle caressed her thigh and spoke about how after they got to the hotel, they’d shower, get food, and everything would feel better, more normal. Eve slid her hand under Villanelle’s, and their fingers interlocked. Eve closed her eyes and rested her head back against the seat. For the moment, everything seemed like it was going to be okay.


	2. Chapter 2

They parked the car a few blocks away and walked to the hotel. Villanelle conversed effortlessly in Italian with the man at the front desk. Eve had no idea what they talked about, but she was sure by the man’s hearty laugh that Villanelle said something clever and charming.

When they got into their room, Eve looked at Villanelle sheepishly and said, “You’re very resourceful. I’m impressed.” She replied nonchalantly, “I am trained. This is what I do.” Villanelle took off her belt and laid it on the bed. She let down her hair and rubbed her neck. She appeared to be deep in thought. Eve was still standing by the door, staring at Villanelle, waiting for instructions, not wanting to deal with anything on her own. Without looking up, Villanelle said, “Listen, you should shower. I’m going to go out and get us some food.”

Eve felt a surge of panic. “No! Wait… don’t leave me.” She looked up at Villanelle’s face and moved closer to her. This movement seemed automatic, natural. Her arms raised until her hands rested on Villanelle’s waist. She slid her hands along Villanelle’s sides until they clasped on the small of her back. Villanelle loved this feeling. She wrapped her arms around Eve’s shoulders and buried her face in Eve’s hair. It smelled of flowers and felt like a cloud of feathers. Their bodies pressed against each other in a warm embrace for the first time. It was heaven.

Their breath began to synchronize as they held each other tightly. Just as Eve thought the whole world had disappeared around them, Villanelle loosened her grip and leaned back a bit. When their eyes met they both smiled warmly, and their bodies surged with excitement. This is what they both wanted. This is what they’ve always wanted. 

Eve looked up expectantly, her arms still around Villanelle’s waist. Villanelle lowered her eyes deliberately down to Eve’s mouth, and Eve closed her eyes. Villanelle leaned in, parted her lips, and pressed them lightly against Eve’s top lip. Then she tilted her head to the other side and kissed her bottom lip. Villanelle’s hips swayed gently as she moved, and Eve’s body began to respond. She pressed herself against Villanelle almost uncontrollably and with a subtle rhythm. Electricity flowed between them. Eve nibbled gently at Villanelle’s lips, and they were the softest most sensual lips she could ever imagine. They tasted each other and teased with their tongues as their hands moved along the curves of each other’s body.

The arrival of this moment, this fantasy coming alive, was exhilarating. Eve let out a quiet moan as they kissed. Her body yearned for more of Villanelle’s touch. Her groin began to throb. But Villanelle stepped back and placed her hands on Eve’s shoulders. Eve desperately wanted to feel Villanelle’s touch all over her body. Her whole being was screaming for it. She could feel how wet she had become between her legs. She conveyed her longing with another small groan.

“Eve,” Villanelle said, breathing heavily, “I know we have wanted this for so long…” Villanelle winced a little. She was struggling to focus, as her body, too, longed for more touch. She wanted to put Eve on the bed and do things to her… “Oh Eve. Oh god. We need to focus. I need to go get some food and supplies. We have to conduct a security and perimeter check and plan our trip.” Villanelle said these things without looking at Eve, because she was afraid if she looked at her face she’d lose control. She wanted her so bad. But she knew what had to be done. She inhaled deeply, forced herself to look at Eve, and said, “We have work to do, and it must be done now.”

Eve was unable to speak. Her body was still throbbing, wanting her, craving her. All of her. It was all she could think about.

“Eve!” she said, this time a little louder. “We have to be smart right now. This is serious.” Then Villanelle flashed a sexy half smile. “We will have plenty of time to be together, later. Don’t worry. Now please, go shower. We have a long journey tomorrow. We are getting up early. Do not open the door for anyone. Do not talk to anyone. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” Eve said with a hint of disappointment. 

“Okay, good. I will be back within half hour.” She turned and walked out the door. Eve started rubbing herself over her pants but then she stopped. “Oh god,” she said quietly. “Okay, we need to focus.” She repeated Villanelle’s words as she walked into the bathroom and undressed. “We need to focus.”

She turned on the shower wishing Villanelle was in there with her. As she felt the wetness between her legs with her fingers, her body shuddered. She thought if she touched herself she could probably come in thirty seconds she was so excited. “Focus,” she said. Save yourself for her. She washed, cleansing the dirt of this day.

This day would be a turning point. She would always look back at her life as the time before today and the time after it. She didn’t know what the future would bring, but she knew she crossed a line today, and she was terrified of what that meant. She didn’t want to think about that now though. All she wanted to think about was that she was finally in the right place. Right now. Here with Villanelle.


	3. Chapter 3

Villanelle stepped out into the cool evening air of Città di Castello, Italy. She had been to this town before, passing through on the way to San Marino for a job, an assignment early in her career. It was a banker she strangled with a rope from the back seat of his own car. He never saw it coming. She remembered how quickly she twisted the rope after she got it over his head. This created the tension required to make it impossible for the man to remove the rope from his neck, even though he was physically stronger. It’s all physics.

She laughed thinking about how good she had become at her job, and at hiding, and stalking. It took a lot of patience, a difficulty for her at times, but she learned to think of it in terms of honing her skills. Almost as though she were always testing herself—a habit from years of training. Forcing herself to focus in times of distraction, to wait in times of impatience, and to remain calm in times of chaos, was her way of overcoming weakness, of maintaining control. These things take practice. Suddenly aware of how much her skills as an assassin had improved over the years since she’d been to Città di Castello, she smiled to herself. Konstantin would be proud, she thought.

She passed by the door of the hardware store to get a read on the environment inside before going in. At first glance, the store appeared quiet. She walked around to the alley where two boys kicked a ball back and forth. Through the window she saw an old man standing behind the counter and a couple shopping among the aisles. Nothing unusual. She determined it was safe to go in.

As Villanelle entered the store, the old man offered a friendly greeting. She walked over and explained that she needed some painting supplies and a gift for her nephew she was visiting in town. Something to do with sports. A baseball bat? Or a golf club perhaps? The man walked her over to a corner with a few random pieces of sports equipment, and there she saw a nice bat. “Perfect,” she said. “I’ll take it.”

“Also I will help my sister paint this weekend. She needs a canvas tarp, some strong tape, and box cutters.” The man said, “Right over here,” and he helped her gather the items. She asked the old man for a recommendation on where to get food. He said two blocks that way. You’ll get the best sandwich in town.

Villanelle made her way to the cafe thinking about Eve. It was exciting, as new love is, and though her instinct was to suppress her excitement, a part of her wanted to feel it, too. Eve had chosen to come with her. Everything about that seemed right and good.

There was no reason to think the Twelve’s henchman had come to Città di Castello, but there was no reason to let her guard down either. After Villanelle got the sandwiches, she took a different route back to the hotel. She walked the perimeter of the building, noting the exits, fire escapes, the proximity to adjacent buildings, and any cars parked nearby. She found nothing out of the ordinary. Now all she had to do was decide whether they would travel to Zurich or Vienna in the morning.


	4. Chapter 4

After Eve showered, a sense of calm came over her. She knew she should still be upset, but she just wasn’t anymore. Those circuits were fried. Overloaded. She took advantage of the quiet time, while Villanelle was out, to collect herself and sort out her thoughts. She snuggled into the soft robe provided by hotel guest services and sat on the bed, leaning her back against the headboard.

Okay, so she killed a man in self-defense. Well not quite self-defense but to save her girlfriend’s life. Wait. Her girlfriend? Eve laughed out loud and covered her face with her hands. She never thought of having a girlfriend before, but as her obsession with Villanelle grew into admiration, and as she came to respect her and care for her and desire her more and more, the concept started to seem… inevitable. And clearly Villanelle felt the same. She said she loved her. Remembering Villanelle’s words at the ruins filled Eve with happiness. She believed her.

For once in her life Eve had taken a big risk. She made the decision to leave Rome with Villanelle. It was wild, but the heart wants what the heart wants. She had denied herself things she truly wanted for much of her life. She knew now that she wasn’t going to do that anymore. She swore to live her best life from now on, no matter the consequences. What else, after all, was living all about? 

Even in her current state of heightened anticipation and uncertainty, she was somewhat at peace. She would do whatever Villanelle says, trusting in her experience and guidance. Eve was finally ready to bloom into the person she was always meant to be. She was high from feeling so alive, and she couldn’t get the smile off her face. And no matter which direction her thoughts wandered, they always turned back to Villanelle. That was love.

Villanelle stood outside the door to their room for a few minutes and listened. Not because she didn’t trust Eve, but because her training prevented her from entering any situation without first gathering as much information as possible. She heard Eve rustle a blanket on the bed but nothing more. She unlocked the door and found Eve sitting there in the robe, looking adorable.

“Hi,” said Eve. Villanelle felt comforted by this greeting. This felt like home, just because Eve was there. “Hey baby,” she replied with a little smile. “I got supplies.” Eve watched as Villanelle put the things down on the table and proceeded to check the windows, probably for some security reasons, she thought. After Villanelle was satisfied with her investigation, she pulled the curtains closed tight. “I don’t think the Twelve’s men followed us here, but we must be careful,” she warned.

Eve had calmed down from their intimate exchange earlier, but just hearing Villanelle’s hot Russian accent and seeing her take care of all these tactical things, she started working herself up into a frenzy of desire again. She had a lifetime of repressed cravings built up inside her.

“Here, I brought you a sandwich. Meat or cheese? You pick. It came highly recommended by a local merchant,” Villanelle explained with a raised eyebrow.

Eve said, “Meat,” as she unwrapped the offering. She didn’t realize how hungry she was until the aroma of salami seeped into her nostrils. “Mmm, thank you,” she said.

“You are welcome baby,” was Villanelle’s response. She slipped off her shoes, grabbed the other sandwich, and carried it over to the table with the supplies. 

“I will sleep on this side of the bed,” she said in between bites. “It is closest to the door. If an attacker enters, I will have a better chance to defend us. This is my primary weapon.” She pulled the tiny gun from her waistband. 

“Wait, where did you get that?” Eve exclaimed.  
“From Konstantin.”  
“You had it the whole time?”  
“Yes.”  
“Why didn’t you shoot Raymond?”  
“Well I was going to, but you axed him instead, so…” Villanelle shrugged. Eve sat with her mouth open, sandwich in hand, incredulous. Villanelle continued unfazed, “We don’t have much ammo. My secondary weapon is this box cutter.” She held it up and showed it to Eve. “I purchased one for you as well. To operate it, just move this switch and—”

“I know how to use a fucking box cutter, Villanelle.”

Villanelle raised her eyebrows and put up her hands in mock surrender. “Okay, okay. I am just trying to help you be prepared, Eve. Aim for the neck or torso.” She tossed the other box cutter onto the bed for Eve. “We will keep the bat here by the door, but under no circumstances should you open the door.” Villanelle propped a chair under the doorknob for added security.

Villanelle sighed and said, “I’m going to shower.” Eve watched her walk across the room and tried to process the fact that she had a gun all along. She was irritated, but she wanted to let it go. Here Villanelle was doing so much to make sure they were safe, and Eve didn’t want to seem unappreciative. They would talk about it another time, Eve decided.

Villanelle emerged from the bathroom in a towel followed by a plume of steam. Her wet hair clung to her pale skin, and a few drips of water cascaded down her silky shoulders. Eve looked her up and down. How like a goddess.


	5. Chapter 5

Villanelle turned to Eve with the look of a wild animal. Eve reached over and switched off the light without breaking eye contact. Then she got on all fours on the bed and crawled toward Villanelle. The tie around the waist of her robe had come undone. She slipped it off. Villanelle let her towel drop to the floor. She lowered her head, and her breathing rate picked up as she started walking toward the edge of the bed, where Eve was perched. A low light in the bathroom illuminated their figures and turned them into dancing shadows on the walls.

When Villanelle reached Eve, she grabbed her face and pulled her up so she was on her knees at the edge of the bed. She put her arm around Eve’s back and pulled their bodies together. Their hard nipples pressed and rubbed on each other’s smooth skin as they moved. They locked into a passionate kiss, feeling all of their desires swelling up inside them. Villanelle put her hand on the side of Eve’s head and whimpered excitedly as she felt Eve’s amazing hair. “Oh my god Eve…” she whispered.

“Mmmmm,” Eve replied. She explored Villanelle’s body with her hands while they kissed. It was so soft. She ran her fingers along Villanelle’s back, down to her ass, to her thigh, back up around her hip, her belly. Everywhere she touched was a perfect, velvety masterpiece. She placed her fingers on Villanelle’s chest and let them trace their way down the center of her body. Just then Villanelle swooped her off her knees and set her down on the bed on her back and maneuvered herself on top of Eve into a mount position. 

“Are you ready?” Villanelle whispered.

“So ready. I’m so ready for you Villanelle. Oh god,” she said with growing anticipation.

Villanelle held Eve’s wrists above her head while she kissed and lightly bit at her neck for a few moments. “Ohhhh Villanelle,” moaned Eve. Eve’s hips began undulating slowly, rhythmically. Villanelle released Eve’s wrists and caressed her breasts, sucking on a nipple as she worked her way down Eve’s body with her mouth, kissing her belly, slowly moving down, down, until her lips landed on Eve’s pulsating clit. She enclosed the area with her soft lips and applied pressure with her tongue in an ebbing and flowing motion like waves of the ocean and then released her mouth from Eve. She repeated this a few times until Eve squealed.

Villanelle reached up to pinch her nipple with just the right pressure and timing to drive Eve absolutely crazy with pleasure. Villanelle kissed her way back up to Eve’s mouth. Their tongues playfully wandered, the sweet taste of pussy mixed into their exchanges. Their pelvises rubbed together, building up to peak arousal. 

But Villanelle couldn’t resist putting her face back between Eve’s legs. She let her tongue explore the area before settling back on Eve’s clit, where she began a slow circular motion. She gradually increased pressure and speed before switching to a rapid up and down movement. Eve let out a gasp and began moaning at regular intervals.

Villanelle played with herself with her fingers as Eve groaned. Villanelle’s pussy, so wet, felt electrified. She felt more sexually awake than she could remember. It felt amazing. Eve was allowing her to feel again. Eve was so special. Villanelle moved up until her mouth rested on Eve’s ear, and she whispered, “Are you close, Eve?”

“Yes, oh god yes!” Eve shouted.

“I am too,” Villanelle said.

They thrust their hips together, finding the perfect rhythm and the perfect point of contact, and in one delirious explosion of ecstasy they both shuddered and howled as the rush of orgasm filled their bodies. They jerked and grasped at each other, quivering, soaring, shaking with pleasure.

Their sweat mingled and combined. Their breath came out hot against each other’s necks. After the blissful waves of aftershock, Villanelle rolled off of Eve and lay beside her. She reached over and held Eve’s hand. They stayed like this, staring at the ceiling together, until their breathing returned to normal.

“I love you Eve.”  
“I love you too Villanelle.”

Eve rolled onto her side and settled her body up against Villanelle’s. Villanelle put her arm around Eve, and they cuddled in profound silence before falling asleep.

When Eve woke up, Villanelle was already dressed and gathering their things. “Time to get up,” she said. “We are leaving soon.” 

“Okay,” Eve replied. She rose and walked over to Villanelle, still naked, and hugged her gently.

“Ahhh Eve, you are so beautiful. Look at you.” They embraced for a moment before Villanelle gave her a kiss and instructed her to get dressed. “We are going to Vienna,” she said.

“Cool,” Eve replied.


	6. Chapter 6

They walked out of the hotel with nothing more than their clothes, their weapons, and the rest of the cash from Konstantin. It would be enough to get them to Vienna, where Villanelle had a safe deposit box with more cash and passports for herself. She’d have to get some made for Eve. 

“I have decided we will travel by bus to the border. From there we can get the night train to Vienna. We need to keep a low profile,” Villanelle explained. “For now, keep your head down, do not talk to anyone, and do not do anything to draw attention to us.”

Eve looked over at Villanelle, who walked at a brisk pace. The morning rays of sun beamed onto her face, giving her the glow of an angel. Surreal.

“We’re stopping on the way to the bus station to get a change of clothes and travel bags. We’ll make it fast. Just a few things, you know, toothbrush, hairbrush.”

“Okay,” Eve said. “Thank you,” she added. “For everything. For… taking care of everything.”

“You are welcome baby. I will get us somewhere safe, but we are not yet clear of danger. They will be looking for us. They will use cameras at airports and anywhere else to try to find us. Always be aware of your surroundings. If anything feels off, tell me. If anything happens, just run. Or hide. We should plan a spot to meet in case we get separated. For now it will be the bus station.”

“Okay,” Eve replied. She needed to switch her mindset. She was still astonished just to be with this extraordinary woman right now. She couldn’t stop her mind from revisiting the passion they shared last night. But Villanelle spoke with a serious tone, and Eve knew she should listen earnestly. The Twelve probably wanted them both dead. Who knows what MI6 wanted. Either way, they had enemies now, and they had to keep their guard up. Eve took a deep breath and furrowed her brow.

They approached a second-hand clothing store. “This will do. Come on,” said Villanelle. They walked in and started to look through the clothes.

“Ooh, lovely,” said Eve, holding up a gaudy sweater. 

“Eve, low profile. Remember?” Villanelle smiled and picked out a plain black top with blue jeans. Eve found an army green top with black slacks. They grabbed bras, socks, and a few pairs of cotton panties too. “Okay, let’s go,” Villanelle said hastily. “Don’t worry, we will get real clothes in Vienna.”

They walked to a nearby pharmacy for the toothpaste and toiletries. Villanelle got some dark hair dye, and they picked out small travel bags. After changing clothes in the restroom, they left their old garments in the trash. For Villanelle this was insignificant, but for Eve, it was symbolic. Those clothes were the remnants of her old life. She stood staring at the trash bin a few minutes before walking away. 

Villanelle hailed a cab and told the driver to take them to the bus station. When they arrived, she explained to Eve that the drive to Tarvisio would be about six hours. “Here, wait,” she said, noticing a small stand selling trinkets and souvenirs. She picked out a baseball cap and sunglasses. After she paid the man, she put on the cap and gave the sunglasses to Eve. “Put these on,” she said. She handed Eve some cash. “I’m going to get the tickets. Find us some food we can take on the bus, and get bottled water.”

Eve browsed the packaged food, wondering what would suit Villanelle’s tastes. She chose a variety of fruits, cheese and crackers, and some cookies. After she paid, she felt that same sense of panic as she did in the hotel room. Where was Villanelle? She was completely dependent on her now. She stood frozen like a deer in headlights. Villanelle already got the tickets and had been watching her for a few minutes. She approached her from behind. “Hi,” she said into her ear. Eve let out a little gasp but then laughed at her jumpiness.

They went to use the restroom, and when Eve noticed they were alone in there, she quickly followed Villanelle into the stall and shut the door behind her. “Ahh haha, Eve, you are so naughty,” she said with a raised pitch. Eve laughed mischievously and leaned forward to kiss her. It was clumsy, in the small space with all the bags in their hands, but having the moment to kiss again, to look in each other’s eyes again, gave them both a little rush of excitement. “Eve,” Villanelle whispered with a smile, “We have to go. Our bus leaves in twenty minutes.”

“Aw. Fine,” Eve said with a superficial scowl. They used the restroom, washed their hands, and headed to the gate.

As they boarded the bus, Villanelle scoped out the driver, the other passengers, and the construction of the bus windows in case they needed to make an emergency exit. After everything seemed to her satisfaction, she pointed to a seat in the back of the bus, and they sat down next to each other. 

“I wasn’t sure what kind of food you like,” Eve said, looking curiously at Villanelle. 

“I like all food. I will eat anything,” she responded matter-of-factly. 

“Oh come on, you must have some preferences.”

Villanelle sighed. “Eve, I have survived for months by eating bug larvae and forest berries. I… do not have some preferences. Food is food.”

Eve looked at Villanelle with concern. Wow, I have no idea what this woman has been through in her life, she thought. Eve wanted to know everything. But for now she just handed her a banana.

A thousand miles away in London, Carolyn looked at her son. “Find them, Kenny,” she said firmly. Kenny nodded his head and opened his laptop.


	7. Chapter 7

The bus drove north, passing through Bologna and then Venice. The Italian countryside served as a picturesque backdrop for their hilly path into the unknown. 

Villanelle sat with her head leaned back and her baseball cap over her face. She appeared to be resting but in fact she was planning their day in Tarvisio and the hotel they would stay at once they reached Vienna. Villanelle was a meticulous planner. She enjoyed the process of making smart arrangements and the reward of successfully carrying out a well-planned operation. Having traveled extensively throughout Europe, she was familiar with many routes and modes of transportation as well as hotels and good places to stay unseen. It was not lost on her, though, that they would likely have to face the Twelve and MI6 again in the near future.

Eve felt surprisingly calm considering the fact that she had just completely turned her life upside down. She felt fresh and energized. This bus ride provided time to reflect. Would Carolyn take Eve back? Could Villanelle work for MI6 again? Could MI6 get the Twelve off their backs? Would there be consequences from the Peel situation? Eve desperately wanted to talk to Villanelle about all this, but she knew this was not the time or the place for that conversation.

Eve discreetly reached down to hold Villanelle’s hand, just a few fingers, between the seat. Villanelle responded by giving a little squeeze and a rub with her thumb. Eve watched out the window, feeling content, as the mountains appeared near Tarvisio. The passengers began rustling and gathering their belongings when the destination approached. After the bus parked in the station, Villanelle and Eve stepped outside with their little travel bags. “We’re going to the library,” Villanelle said. “Okay,” replied Eve.

They stopped at a little shop on the way where Villanelle bought Eve a sun hat. “Unfortunately, you should put up your hair,” Villanelle said. She reached out and touched Eve’s hair with both hands. “Mmmmm,” she said while admiring and caressing Eve’s great curls. “This hat will give you cover from the street cameras. It will be more important in Vienna but also applies here, especially at the train station,” Villanelle said.

“Where should we meet if we get separated?” Eve asked. 

“Ah, very good question. One block west of the train station, there is a little bakery. Meet there if we become separated.”

“Okay,” said Eve. 

They went into the library and Villanelle approached the information desk with a smile. She conversed in Italian with the librarian, who pointed to a bookshelf along the wall. As the librarian turned, Villanelle palmed the scissors on her desk and slipped them into her bag in the blink of an eye. Villanelle thanked the librarian and walked to the bookshelf. Eve followed. She took down a book about skiing. “Here you go,” she said to Eve with a smile. “Go sit down and read this book. I will be back in twenty minutes. Do not talk to anyone.”

“Okay,” said Eve. Villanelle disappeared around a corner, and Eve looked down at the book. Skiing? Really? She chuckled and rolled her eyes before opening the book. Since it was written in Italian, she just looked at the pictures until her mind wandered to Villanelle, as it always did these days. Eve realized she felt uneasy without Villanelle. She wanted her by her side. She needed her there. She wished she could transport them forward to a time and a place where they didn’t have to be on the run. Where they could just enjoy each other without worry. She wondered if that day would ever come.

A man’s voice pulled her out of her daydream. He wore a police uniform and spoke in Italian. Eve fumbled with the book and said, “Oh, um, I don’t speak Italian. I’m sorry.”

The man huffed and said, “Do you have some identification please?”

Eve said, “Uh, no, sorry. I don’t have any with me. I’m on vacation.” Eve shot him a nervous smile, and he looked at her suspiciously.

“Well then, I’m going to need you to come with me.”


	8. Chapter 8

Villanelle used the stolen scissors to give herself a shorter haircut in the library bathroom. She took the hair dye from her bag, quickly mixed it, and rubbed it into her scalp. If anyone were looking for her, they would be looking for a long-haired blonde. Eve could not so easily change her appearance, and this was worrisome to Villanelle. Obviously changing Eve’s hair was out of the question, so a hat and sunglasses would have to do.

Their train didn’t leave for a few hours, so Villanelle wanted to take Eve to a nice restaurant. She thought it would be good for them to sit, relax, and order some decent food like normal people do. After fifteen minutes she rinsed her hair in the sink and cleaned up the area. She stuck her head under the hand dryer and let her short hair blow around into sort of a wild look. Hm, different, she thought upon seeing her reflection.

Just then, from a distance, she heard Eve shout, “I’m not going anywhere!” Villanelle’s heart started pounding. She took a few deep breaths and slowly emerged from the bathroom. When she saw Eve talking to the police officer, she felt pure rage. Eve was standing next to the officer, and he looked as though he was trying to calm her down. Eve had the box cutter in her hand. Why? Villanelle channeled the energy of her rage into the character she needed to become right now.

She walked briskly toward Eve and the officer and began shouting at Eve loudly in Italian. Their full attention fell onto her as she alternated between scolding Eve in a nasty tone and apologetically explaining something to the officer. Villanelle snatched the box cutter from Eve’s hand and threw it in the garbage can. She grabbed Eve by the upper arm forcefully and apologized profusely to the police officer and the librarian, who had taken an interest in the situation. The officer seemed to be convinced by whatever Villanelle had told him, and he waved them off.

When they got outside, Villanelle kept hold of Eve’s arm and guided her down the block. Villanelle was fuming, and Eve was too frightened to say anything. Finally when they got a few blocks away, Villanelle pushed Eve into an alley and pinned her up against a brick wall, holding her by the shoulders. Villanelle’s lips tensed up, and her veins popped out of her forehead and neck. 

“What the fuck was that, Eve?”

“I… I don’t know! I mean, I was just sitting there. But I didn’t realize I was playing with the box cutter.”

“Eve, what is the box cutter?” Villanelle was almost shouting now. “What is the box cutter?” She repeated. 

Eve looked down. “My primary weapon.”

“And now you don’t have it because you weren’t thinking, Eve! Now you are vulnerable. Don’t you understand you can’t do things like this anymore. You have to think!”

“Villanelle, you’re hurting me,” Eve said. “Please let go of my arms.” Villanelle let go and let out a growl of frustration. She took a couple of deep breaths and a few steps back and forth, which helped, but she was still upset. 

“What did you say to him, the policeman?” Eve asked.

“I told him you were my patient - my mental patient - and I needed to get you back to the hospital immediately for your medication. He said someone called about a person who looked like they might harm themself with a knife.” 

“Oh my god, I was just mindlessly playing with it.” 

“Well that’s the problem, Eve. You cannot be mindless anymore. We have to be careful, thoughtful, deliberate.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” Eve looked up at her with puppy dog eyes.

Villanelle suddenly felt tender. “You could have gotten us thrown in jail or worse. Do you understand how serious this is? Listen, if you really want to be together, we have to be smarter than this, all the time. We have to be on point, all the time.”

“I know. I will do better. I promise.”

“I know you will baby.” Villanelle wanted to let it go, and she tried her best. “Come on. I want to take you for a nice lunch. Let’s get away from this area.” 

Eve didn’t want to say anything out of sheer embarrassment, so they walked in silence most of the way. After about ten blocks, they came upon a quaint little restaurant near the center of town. “A table outside please,” Villanelle said. 

They shared a salad and a sampling of meats and cheeses. They chatted and flirted and ordered ice cream for dessert.


	9. Chapter 9

Villanelle bought them a small private room for the seven-hour train ride to Vienna. It came equipped with a toilet, an extremely small shower stall, and a bed. After Villanelle conducted a security sweep, they took turns showering, rinsed their undergarments, and hung them up to dry. Since they didn’t have any pajamas, they wrapped themselves in bed sheets until they looked like a couple of Greek goddesses. 

“I’ve never been to Vienna,” Eve said, sitting on the bed. 

“Oh, you’re going to love it,” Villanelle replied as she arranged the wet clothes over the shower bar. “A lot of history there. Beautiful music. And the people are very practical.”

“You’ve been?”

“Yes, many times. Part of my training involved navigating various European cities. Vienna is one of my favorites, actually.”

Eve looked at her with admiration. One of the things that made her fall in love with Villanelle was her sophistication. She seemed so knowledgeable about the world. Eve wanted to know more about her training.

“What did you have to do for the training?”

“I had to watch people. I had to sneak in and out of buildings. Stuff like that.”

“Uh huh,” Eve said, sensing Villanelle’s casualness as a reluctance to divulge more information. That’s okay, Eve thought. They didn’t need to talk about it right now.

“God you’re beautiful,” said Eve. Villanelle flashed her a smile. 

“Thank you baby,” she answered. She leaned in and kissed Eve sweetly on the lips. Eve’s bare shoulders drew her touch, and they kissed again. Villanelle twirled Eve’s hair in her fingers, and a needy sigh escaped her lips. Eve smiled. 

“I want to… please you,” said Eve, staring intensely into Villanelle’s eyes. 

Villanelle said, “It pleases me just to be with you, Eve.” Eve tilted her head to the side. “There’s been so much chaos in my life, and you… I don’t know, you just... You ground me. I like it.”

Villanelle got a kittenish look on her face. She sat on the bed and shuffled herself back until she was up against the wall, where a pipe protruded. The train rustled and shook along the tracks. Villanelle reached up behind her head and took hold of the pipe. “Eve, get my belt,” she said. Eve retrieved the belt while Villanelle started kicking off the sheet that had been around her, revealing her naked frame. She still clasped the pipe. “Tie me,” she instructed. “Tie my hands,” she added, “so I can’t get out.”

Eve licked her lips and unwrapped herself from the sheet she was wearing. She got the belt and crawled on top of Villanelle, reaching up to wrap the belt around her lover’s hands. When they were tied up to the pipe, Villanelle pursed her lips and whispered urgently, “Tighter! I can still get away, Eve.”

Eve complied and constricted the belt as much as she could, until it was digging into Villanelle’s wrists. “Ohh yeah,” she said. “That’s better. Now bite my neck.”

Eve did as she was told, and Villanelle squirmed and moaned.

“Bite my nipples, Eve.”

Eve lowered herself down and began nibbling at Villanelle’s breasts. “Oh yes, Eve… Harder.”

Eve ran her hands up and down Villanelle’s smooth curvy body as she licked and sucked at her nipples. She reached between Villanelle’s legs, rubbing past the small patch of blonde hair, and let her fingers slide into the wetness at Villanelle’s core. She massaged back and forth in a way she knew felt good.

“Ahhhhh,” Villanelle moaned. Eve straddled Villanelle’s outstretched leg and began rubbing herself against her thigh. Eve felt her juices flowing, and their rhythm picked up. The train rattled and rolled through the night.

Eve kissed Villanelle passionately and then bit her neck again as she slipped her fingers inside, first one then two, and massaged her clit with her thumb. Villanelle whimpered with pleasure. Eve put her fingers to work until Villanelle begged her not to stop. Villanelle struggled with the belt, jerking and pulling with her arms, but it was no use. Eve had tied it securely.

Eve could feel Villanelle’s wet pussy swelling against her fingers as she massaged her in and out, back and forth. “Oh god Eve. Oh god Eve. Oh god Eve!” Villanelle let out an orgasmic moan as waves of pleasure coursed through her body. 

Eve had become so excited, and feeling Villanelle’s orgasm with her fingers inside was enough to send her over the edge. She thrusted against Villanelle’s hip a few times and the rush of euphoria hit her instantly. 

They gasped and wailed together in ecstasy as their blood surged vigorously. The intoxicating air of fresh passion filled the room. After their quivering bodies relaxed, Eve reached up to untie the belt. Exhausted, they slumped together in a sweaty embrace until their heavy breathing subsided.

“I love you Villanelle.”  
“I love you too Eve.”

They giggled and snuggled with each other until they fell asleep. The train rolled on toward Vienna.


	10. Chapter 10

The couple arrived in Vienna as the sun appeared on the horizon. Just outside of the train station, Villanelle noticed Eve’s hair was down. “Shit,” she said. “Put on your sun hat, Eve.”

“Oh yeah.” She stuffed her hair under the hat as they walked to the taxi stand.

Villanelle ordered the driver to take them to St. Stephen’s Cathedral, which was in a busy tourist area. Villanelle knew that they had been compromised. If one were to look, it would be easy to spot the two women traveling together, especially since one of them had such amazing hair. Villanelle began formulating a plan in her head. 

As they drove, Eve took in the city’s varied architecture. “Wow, this is lovely,” she remarked. 

“I thought you would like it,” Villanelle said, pleased. She wanted to make Eve happy. She could do it, she thought. She wanted a chance at a normal life with her.

As they got closer, Villanelle gave Eve her instructions. “Okay, so you’re going to get out and go into the cathedral. You know, just act like a tourist. Wait for me in there. Pretend you are praying or something. Okay?”

“Okay,” Eve said, nodding. 

“What if something happens or we get separated? Where should we meet?”

“I will come into the cathedral for you within the hour, Eve. Just wait for me.” She paused, realizing it was astute of Eve to have the forethought to make a backup plan. “But, should something happen, just meet me at Starbucks.”

Eve burst out laughing. “They have Starbucks here?”

“Of course they do. Psh.”

When the taxi came to a stop near the cathedral, the couple looked into one another’s eyes and touched hands. 

“Go,” Villanelle said. She felt a pang in her heart as Eve got out of the car. She watched her walk into the cathedral and ordered the driver to a nearby shopping center, where she picked out some different clothes for both of them. She got some hats too.

When leaving the shopping center, Villanelle used a service exit that let out into a back alley. She weaved around a few blocks, and when she was sure she wasn’t being followed, she made her way back to the cathedral. An anxiety grew within her that was only quelled by the vision of Eve, who stood admiring the grand structure of the interior of the cathedral. Upon seeing Eve, Villanelle let out a sigh of relief and smiled from ear to ear. She was in love.

She approached and said, “Come, let’s go to the bathroom. I have something for you.”

“Ooh,” said Eve with a raised eyebrow. 

“Ha!” Villanelle wrinkled her nose. “Not like that.”

They got into the bathroom where Villanelle took out the new clothes. “Here, put these on,” she said. She gave Eve a new blue sun hat. “Throw away the old stuff.” Eve gave her a troubled glance but proceeded to change. 

“Are we safe?” Eve asked. 

“For now.”

When they were finished changing, Villanelle took Eve’s hands in hers. “Here’s what we need to do. You walk out first. Keep your head down. Go straight until you see the park. Turn right, and walk until you get to the trolley tracks. Do not cross the tracks. On that block there is a little cafe. Order a coffee and sit by the window. When you see me walk past, wait five minutes, and then go into the hotel on the corner. Keep your hat on. I will be waiting for you in the lobby.”

“Okay, but why all this? What’s going on? Did something happen?”

“Eve, we just have to be super careful because people monitor the major train stations. The Twelve. MI6. Who knows. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Let’s go.”

Villanelle stuffed the old clothes into the wastebasket, and they walked toward the restroom exit. But Eve abruptly blocked the door with her arm. Villanelle knew what she wanted and kissed her feverishly before they walked out.


	11. Chapter 11

Villanelle watched as Eve left the cathedral. When her blue sun hat finally disappeared in the crowd, Villanelle sat in a pew and got lost in thought. She had a natural inclination, or maybe a learned one, to be on the go, always be doing something, always be moving forward. For the first time she can remember, she imagined what it might be like to stop. To rest. To breathe and take it all in.

When a half hour had passed, she left and walked to Hotel Am Schubertring, a modest and comfortable hotel on the edge of the Ringstrasse. She took a roundabout way, frequently checking over her shoulder, until she walked past Eve sitting in the window. Good. All was going according to plan. Villanelle entered the hotel lobby, and Eve followed shortly after.

Villanelle spoke German to the front desk clerk. They had a brief but pleasant exchange before Villanelle paid in cash and received the key. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The room was tastefully decorated with wood and earthy colors. Eve immediately flopped down on the bed, which was situated within a little cove.

“I’m going to the bank,” said Villanelle. “Let me use those sunglasses. We have to be so careful here. We have to alter our appearance a lot. There are eyes everywhere.” Villanelle put on her baseball cap and the sunglasses and told Eve she would bring back lunch. “You know the drill, right?”

“Don’t open the door. Don’t talk to anyone.”

“When I leave, put the chair in front of the door.”

“Got it.”

“I will bring back some more clothes, too. Until then, relax baby.”

“Wait,” said Eve. “I’m sorry I screwed up. With the box cutter. It’s just… I like having something to do with my hands, and I just took it out of my pocket, you know, flipping the switch… I’m sorry. I’m just not used to all this. I mean, I know I love you, and I know I want to be with you, but I’m still trying to figure out… who I am now. And all of this running around… It’s new for me. I’m going to need you to be patient with me. I need some time to figure everything out. Okay?”

Villanelle listened empathetically and said, “Of course baby. I’m sorry I yelled at you outside of the library. I have a… bit of a temper sometimes.”

“I know,” said Eve.

Villanelle seemed to be peering directly into Eve’s soul now, and she whispered, “We are in this together. Whatever you need. I will be here for you, always. You are mine now, and I am yours. Everything will be okay.”

“Okay. I love you.”  
“I love you too baby”

They embraced, holding each other tight, and then kissed goodbye. After Villanelle went out, Eve placed the chair under the door.

On her way to the bank, where she would pick up her stash of cash, passports, and an untraceable Glock 17 from her safe deposit box, Villanelle stopped to admire one of the many elaborate fountains scattered throughout the city. She was already used to being with Eve, and she felt discomfort being away from her. This was all new for her too. As someone accustomed to being alone, someone who knew it was best to be alone, this bothered her. With the danger her job brings to anyone close to her, the smart thing was to remain unattached. But now her job was uncertain. Everything was up in the air. Villanelle didn’t know which contacts she could trust or where Eve would be safest. She had to go with her gut for now.

After she retrieved her things from the safe deposit box, she shopped for some better clothes for the two of them. On her way back to the hotel, she bought tickets for the Vienna Philharmonic, considered by many to be the best orchestra in the world. It would be a nice date night, she thought.

Back at the hotel, Eve curled up under the covers, tired from their travels and the emotional intensity of the past few days. She hasn’t quite felt like herself. So much of her life remained in turmoil. She wondered how she would ever sort it all out but also recognized she had been through a lot and probably just needed some rest. She drifted off to sleep and into a nightmare. She was running though the ruins back in Rome but it was dark, she couldn’t see. She could hear Villanelle calling her name. She stumbled along the stone steps toward her lover’s voice, reaching out her arms, but no one was there. She tried to shout, to scream, but her voice wouldn’t work.

When Villanelle got to the room, she couldn’t get in because of the chair. Annoyed, she rattled the door and called out to Eve, careful not to draw too much attention to herself. “Eve open the door!”

Eve jerked awake. “Ahh! Oh my god.” When she realized what was happening, she quickly went to the door and removed the chair. “I’m so sorry. I fell asleep,” she said with a troubled look on her face.

“It’s okay, baby. Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Eve said groggily, “I had a nightmare.”

Villanelle stretched out her arms, and Eve moved in until Villanelle’s embrace enclosed her.

Around this time in London, Kenny sat reviewing footage of major train stations near Rome. He knew Villanelle and Eve would avoid airports. He watched thousands of passengers traveling through Naples, Florence, Monaco, Zurich, Munich, and Vienna, scanning for the two women. He rewound the video of the train station in Vienna. “Could that be…? Yes, the hair… Mom! Mom, I think we’ve got her!”

Carolyn picked up her phone and dialed. After a brief pause, she said, “Vienna.”


	12. Chapter 12

“What do you think they’re doing in Vienna?” Kenny asked. 

“Who knows,” replied Carolyn. “But I don’t think Eve realizes how much danger she could be in. Villanelle seems to have convinced her she cares about her, and maybe she does, but let me tell you, that could change in an instant.”

Kenny nodded and looked at his shoes. He agreed she could be in over her head. He liked Eve, and he didn’t want to see her end up hurt—or worse.

Carolyn continued, “Eve may be a keen investigator, but she may also be smitten with our little assassin. And we know how emotions can hinder people, don’t we Kenny. Villanelle is a master manipulator. We mustn’t forget that. We’re going to go in and see if we can pull Eve out. She could still be an asset for us.”

“What about Villanelle?” Kenny asked.

Carolyn sighed heavily. “I don’t know. If she can’t be controlled, she is of limited usefulness.”

“Are we going to Vienna?”

“Yes. Were you able to locate them in the city?”

“It’s strange. I picked up their taxi in the Ringstrasse, but they got out separately, and I lost them. I have to scan the footage. They must have disguised themselves.”

“Oh Eve, what have you gotten yourself into?” Carolyn wondered aloud. “Okay, scan that footage. Find out where they’re hiding. Then pack your things. We’ll leave first thing in the morning.”

Back in Vienna, Eve and Villanelle got dressed for the symphony. “Wow, you look amazing,” Villanelle said to Eve with a sparkle in her eye. Eve wore an elegant black and white dress with her shoulders exposed and black shoes that Villanelle picked out. She wore her hair up. Villanelle chose a chic patterned suit that fit her perfectly. They admired each other and agreed they were truly a stunning couple. 

They walked to the concert hall discussing the eclectic mix of pre-war and modern architecture along the way. It finally felt like they were doing something normal.


	13. Chapter 13

Eve and Villanelle ascended the wide stairway from the lobby to the balcony section at the concert hall. Somehow being in this crowd allowed them to shed their paranoia about the Twelve and MI6. They were just regular people going to a concert. It seemed like a safe place to blend in. 

“This will be a Beethoven piano concerto and a Mahler symphony,” Villanelle said as she studied the program. “Concerto number two. Do you know this piece?”

“No. Definitely not,” said Eve. 

“It’s underrated. People don’t like it as much as the others—there are only five—but number two is the best. It’s simple and whimsical. There’s something pure about it, I don’t know. It’s my favorite.”

“Huh,” said Eve. “I can’t wait to hear it. What made you get into this kind of music?”

“When I was a girl, I had my own little radio for a while. I used to stop on the classical station because I’d hear music with no words, and that appealed to me. My father would drink and ramble on for hours, so it was nice to have a break. Beethoven became my favorite. He’s the best at telling stories without words.”

Eve was delighted to receive this tidbit of Villanelle’s past. She was opening up, allowing Eve to get inside her head. It was a sign of trust, a good sign.

The lights in the concert hall dimmed, and the crowd went from chatter to murmur. When the music started, Eve and Villanelle relaxed and let the music carry them away, first the serenade of the violins migrating between serious and playful, the flutes joining in, and finally the piano in conversation with the entire orchestra. At intermission they had a glass of champagne, and after the show they decided to walk along the canal. The night was temperate. 

“That was dark,” Eve said. 

“What, the Mahler? Yeah, dark and stormy. And long. I’m not so familiar with his music, but he’s known for rambling,” Villanelle replied.

“I loved the Beethoven. I would definitely go to more concerts like this.”

“We will baby.”

Eve saw this romantic walk as a good opportunity to talk about the future. “So, I was thinking, what are we going to do?”

Villanelle sighed. “Yeah. I’ve been thinking about that too. I have enough money for us to live comfortably for a few years, maybe more. I have it stashed all around though, so we’d have to travel a bit. We need to get you a passport.”

“How do we do that?” Eve asked. 

“I know a guy who lives in a village outside of Paris. He can make one for you. We’ll go see him.”

“Okay,” Eve replied. “But I mean what are we going to do to be safe. We have to clear things up somehow. I don’t want us having to look over our shoulder for the rest of our lives.”

“I know. Well, without Konstantin I don’t have a connection to the Twelve anymore. I’m starting to think they might not even come after me, though, or they would have done it by now. I guess if we find Konstantin we can ask him. Do you think Carolyn is involved with the Twelve?”

“Honestly,” Eve said, “I don’t know what all she is wrapped up in. She seems to know a lot more than she lets on. She wanted me to go with her when she left Rome, but I said no.”

“Maybe we should go to the States. Get away from it all,” Villanelle said.

“Yeah, maybe. I just want to be with you. I don’t even care where anymore. You know, I want us to have a life together, have hobbies, have fun, maybe get a dog.”

Villanelle smiled. “I want those things too.” She paused a moment before continuing. “Things don’t always end well for people like me, Eve, but ever since I met you, I want to be different. I want to be better. For you. When I first saw you I felt something… indescribable. There was a spark. I knew there was a connection. I still feel it so strongly.”

“I know, me too. I was fascinated by you, but the more I got to know you… You’re even more… I just… I love you so much.”

“I love you too baby.”

“And I want to be with you, like, forever. Do you want that too?”

Villanelle stopped walking and looked Eve in the eyes. “Yes I do Eve. I want to be with you forever. I’ve never been so sure about anything.”

Eve smiled. Just then they were distracted by a scuffle happening on the grassy area off to the side of the path. Eve couldn’t understand German, but she recognized the interaction. 

“Stop it,” the woman pleaded. 

“Come on,” the man said aggressively. 

He pressed her against a tree, forcing his hand under her shirt.

“Get off me!” she said. 

“Wait here,” Villanelle ordered. Eve watched as she picked up a rock as big as her fist, walked up quickly and quietly behind the man, and bashed him over the head with it. He put his hands on his head and bent over. Villanelle immediately hit him six more times in the head with the rock. She knew it doesn’t happen like in the movies. People don’t go down from one hit. To eliminate the threat, you have to keep going and leave them no time to respond. Villanelle was fast and powerful, and the man ended up unconscious on the ground.

“Get out of here,” she said to the scared woman, who nodded and shuffled off.

She walked back to Eve, tossed the rock in the canal, and said, “Let’s go.”

They walked to the hotel in silence at a hurried pace. Once in the privacy of their room, Eve spoke up. 

“So you’re always telling me we have to be careful, we have to be smart, don’t do anything to draw attention. What were you thinking back there?”

Villanelle seemed annoyed. “Eve, what did you want me to do, leave that woman to be assaulted?”

“Well no… I mean maybe. I don’t know. You just… We can’t go around doing stuff like that.”

“Eve, it’s over. Let’s just forget about it.”

Eve sighed and turned on the tv. It was the first time they watched tv together. Eve flipped channels until Villanelle took the remote out of her hands and turned it off. She climbed on top of her and they made love before falling asleep in each other’s arms.


	14. Chapter 14

They were awakened by the crashing sound of the door being kicked in. Villanelle instantly reached for her Glock, which was in the drawer of the bedside table, but the man grabbed her arm just as she felt the cold metal with her fingertips. She struggled but he easily overpowered her and held her down. Eve jolted awake and sat up just before the second man took her arm and said, “Get dressed.”

The third and fourth men stood pointing assault rifles directly at them. All were large and dressed in black. Villanelle was furious. She grunted and shouted something in Russian. 

Eve tried to speak but was immediately interrupted. “Get dressed,” the man said louder. She pulled on her jeans, stepped into her slip-on shoes, and threw a t-shirt over her head. Eve’s face displayed her shock. She looked at Villanelle, who still struggled, frustrated, the veins popping out in her neck. The man guided Eve out the door despite her protest. 

Villanelle shouted “Eve! No!” Her voice cracked in desperation. Hearing this broke Eve’s heart. Villanelle stopped fighting back once Eve was gone and spit in the man’s face. He pressed his forearm harder against her throat.

Eve was put into a van with no windows. They drove about ten minutes and pulled into a dingy warehouse. When the back door of the van opened, Eve saw Kenny sitting at a wooden table with his laptop and Carolyn standing with her arms folded and a serious frown on her face. Eve’s jaw dropped. “What are you doing here?” she asked.

“Eve,” Carolyn began, “What happened in Rome, it was very messy. I’m tired of cleaning up your messes. However, you’re good, and I want to give you one last chance at working for me, but you can’t fuck it up.”

“Wait,” said Eve, “What about the Twelve?”

“Don’t worry about them. They have their hands full with… another situation. They won’t be bothering us.”

“What about Villanelle?”

“Eve, what’s going on between you two?”

Eve sighed. “It’s complicated,” she said. “I’ve… befriended her.”

“Befriended her,” Carolyn repeated. “I see. Go on.”

“She can be an asset,” Eve continued.

“I’m open to the possibility, but she has proven to be unpredictable, and I need people I can trust. People who can carry out missions without going off the rails.”

Eve became more animated. “Yes, yes, I know. Listen, I can control her. As long as you let us work together. She… has an affinity for me. And she trusts me. I could get her to do… anything. I think.”

Carolyn sized up Eve during an awkward moment of silence. She drew in a deep breath and said, “Okay. But I’m warning you. I need you both to be sharp. No fucking around. We have a situation brewing in London, and I could use you there.”

Carolyn turned to one of the men from the van and ordered him to take Eve back to the hotel.

“Eve, London. Friday morning. Bring her. No fucking around.”

“Wait. I don’t have a passport.”

“I’ll have one dropped off at your hotel today.”

“How did you find us?” Eve asked. 

Carolyn pointed at Kenny. “My son can find anyone. He has eyes all over the internet.”

Eve looked at Kenny. “Hi Kenny,” she said. 

“Hey,” Kenny replied. 

The man gestured for eve to get in the van, and she climbed in the back. When she arrived back at the hotel room, Villanelle was tied to a chair. Her face lit up when she saw Eve, and she shouted her name. “Eve!”

“Oh, I’m so sorry. It was Carolyn.”

Eve looked at the men who stood guarding Villanelle. “You can go now,” she said.

The men left the room, and Eve untied Villanelle, who rubbed her sore wrists. “I was so worried about you,” she said as she reached for Eve. The two embraced. “I failed. I couldn’t protect you.”

“Villanelle, it’s fine. Listen. I got us a job.”

Villanelle stepped back. “What?”

“Yeah, we have to go to London. We’re going to be working for Carolyn.”

“What about the Twelve?”

“She said don’t worry about them. They’re on to something else.”

“Do you trust her?”

“Yeah. I think we can trust her. But we have to behave. Be professional.”

“Okay. Wow. Well I guess this is a good thing.” Villanelle sat on the edge of the bed, still reeling from the events of this morning. 

Eve felt a boost of confidence at having provided some security for them. “I want to fuck your brains out,” she said.

“Ooh,” Villanelle replied. “I—”

Before she could finish, Eve was on top of her. She straddled her, pushed her back onto the bed, and ripped her clothes off. Villanelle smiled at this fierce, aggressive Eve. She liked it. Eve kissed her all over her body, and Villanelle moaned with pleasure. When Eve got down to her pussy, it was dripping wet. She licked and sucked between her legs until Villanelle convulsed and screamed with joy. She began caressing Eve’s body in return. She reached down between her legs with her hand. “Oh my god,” Villanelle said. “You’re so wet too.”

“It’s all for you, baby,” Eve replied with a sexy glance. Villanelle grinned and started playing with Eve using her fingers and her tongue. She came right away. Villanelle said, “Oh, we’re not done yet,” and she pleasured Eve a second time. 

The lovers ordered breakfast and ate it sitting by the open window with the morning Viennese breeze blowing in.


	15. Chapter 15

“So we’re going back to London,” Villanelle said as they finished breakfast. 

“Yeah, and do you know what I’m dreading? I’m going to have to talk to Niko.”

Villanelle clenched her jaw and busied herself with tidying up. “Oh yeah?” She asked.

Eve noticed her agitation. “Well yeah, I was married to him for a long time. I mean, things had been weird between us for a while, but anyway, we have a house. There’s a lot of… stuff. I’m going to have to make arrangements to deal with it. Selling the house or whatever and all that.”

“You know you could always just walk away. Just let it all be part of your past.”

Villanelle glared at Eve, who looked toward the floor. She hadn’t even considered that. “That just seems so wasteful. I mean I have clothes, books, you know, things I want to keep,” she said.

“I probably shouldn’t have killed Gemma,” Villanelle blurted out with a quizzical look on her face. 

“Probably? Are you kidding me? Jesus Christ, you can’t just go around killing everyone!” Eve said disapprovingly. 

“Well, it’s kinda my thing, so…”

Eve looked at her sternly. “Listen, we could have a nice life in London, but like you always say, we have to be smart about how we play this. We have to keep it professional. We’ll be working together. Think how amazing that could be. I want to learn from you. Teach me what you learned in training.”

“Are you saying you want to do what I do, Eve?”

“Well I don’t know. I mean, yes, we’ll be a team.”

“We are very different, you and I.”

“Yeah, so?”

“You could never be like me.” Villanelle trailed off and her face took on a completely blank stare.

“Where did you go? Just now? Hey, baby, what are you talking about?” Eve put her hand on Villanelle’s arm but she shrugged it off.

“Eve, let’s just get out of here. We need luggage. Let’s go to the store.”

“Okay,” Eve said slowly. She was concerned about understanding Villanelle’s psychological peculiarities. Sometimes she just veered off like this. There was a certain detachment that scared Eve. As it should. 

They walked through the Ringstrasse looking for a place that sold luggage when they came upon a sex shop. “Ooh,” Villanelle said, “Let’s go in here.”

“Aha, okay. Sure.”

“Oh yes look at these vibrators. I’m going to get us one.”

“Okay,” said Eve. “I’ve never had one.” 

“What?” Villanelle was genuinely shocked. “Are you serious? Wow. You have been so sheltered in your life. You’re going to love it. What color?”

“Hmm, how about purple.”

They paid for the vibrator and continued on to the luggage store, strolling at a leisurely pace.

“I told Carolyn we were friends.”

“Oh yeah? You didn’t tell her we eat each other’s pussy?”

“Ha! No, I thought, you know, we could just act like friends around the office.”

Villanelle seemed a little taken aback. “Why, Eve? What are you afraid of?”

“Well you know, I’ve never…”

“Is it because this is your first time being with a woman? You’ve never been with a woman before me, right?”

Eve shook her head. Villanelle looked toward the sky as she recalled all of their passionate encounters over the past few days. “You know, you’re pretty good at it, considering.”

“Well, it’s instinctive,” Eve replied. 

“Yeah,” said Villanelle. 

“But it’s just not cool to flaunt relationships in a workplace. Things can get messy.”

“Yeah, I suppose. We will see how it goes.”

Villanelle took Eve’s hand and they walked in silence until they passed a dance studio. Villanelle asked, “Do you dance?”

“No,” Eve replied.

“Me neither.”


	16. Chapter 16

When they arrived back at the hotel, an envelope waited at the front desk. Eve’s passport. Eve explained that Carolyn had it delivered. They brought it up to the room, and Eve said to Villanelle, “We’re going to have to pay them to fix our room door. Part of the frame is cracked. Maybe you can talk to them? Carolyn will pay us back.”

“Sure,” said Villanelle. “So you only speak English?”

“I speak some Korean.”

“You should learn others. It will help you in the field.”

“Easy for you to say. How many languages do you speak?”

“I don’t know. Seven or eight, maybe ten. They come easy for me.”

Eve looked at her girlfriend with admiration. Villanelle changed the subject. “We can fly to London now that you have your passport and we are not worrying about escaping the Twelve.”

“Yeah, we could fly. I don’t know, flying is so stressful though. We could take the train. Our train ride was so fun,” Eve said as she approached Villanelle and wrapped her arms around her. Villanelle ran her fingers through Eve’s hair. They kissed tenderly. “You’re so beautiful, Eve,” she said. “I love your face.”

“I love your face too,” Eve replied. 

“Okay we’ll take the train. What my baby wants, my baby gets.”

“I like that,” Eve said with a giggle. They kissed some more. “It’s just so nice to see the country from the tracks like that. And the rhythm of the train can be… inspiring.”

“Yes it can,” Villanelle whispered with a smile. They stood in the middle of the room embracing and kissing for a while longer until Eve finally said they should pack up their things. She wanted to arrive in London at a decent hour Thursday night so they had time to settle in at a hotel and be ready for work Friday morning.

“I wonder what the situation with Carolyn is going to be in London,” Eve said. 

“Well I wouldn’t fully trust Carolyn. She takes what she needs from people. She uses them,” Villanelle reminded Eve.

“I know. That’s the way her job works. But I mean as long as we stay on her good side, everything should be fine.”

“I understand, but in this type of work, you won’t always have the full picture. It can be hard to figure out which side is the good side. Things can change from one minute to the next. You have to be ready to improvise.”

Eve considered Villanelle’s wise words. “Yes, but I do believe Carolyn has the interests and safety of the general public at heart, and they are worth protecting.”

Villanelle rolled her eyes. “Okayyy,” she said. 

“Hey, let’s make a promise to each other,” Eve said. “No matter what happens, you and me, we look out for each other first. We never put anyone above us. We always take care of each other. We never abandon each other.”

“Okay baby, I promise,” Villanelle answered. She got the box cutter from her pocket, grabbed Eve’s hand, and made a little cut in her right palm. 

“Ow! What’d you do that for?” She exclaimed. 

Villanelle did the same to her own hand. “Now we shake,” she said. “It’s a blood promise. They’re stronger than a regular promise.”

Eve’s mouth still hung open in surprise as they shook hands and their blood merged.

“You are quite a character, Villanelle.”

“Yes, I suppose I am.”

They finished packing and made their way to the front desk, where Villanelle discussed the payment for the cracked door frame with the clerk. She handed him a wad of cash, and they exchanged goodbyes. The couple taxied to the train station, and Villanelle once again purchased a private room for their journey. 

After settling into their quarters, Eve said, “I really liked Vienna. We’ll have to go back sometime.”

“Definitely,” said Villanelle, as she nuzzled up to Eve. “Did you pick up batteries like I asked?”

“I did,” Eve said.


	17. Chapter 17

“Give them to me,” Villanelle demanded. Eve retrieved the batteries from her bag and handed them over. The lovers sat comfortably on the little bed as the train roared along the tracks heading west toward London.

Villanelle took the vibrator out of the package. “Take your clothes off,” she said. Eve got up and undressed slowly while watching her girlfriend fill the plastic tube with black batteries and then screw it back together. Villanelle held up the vibrator and looked at Eve. She switched it on and raised her eyebrows with a big goofy smile. 

“Ooh,” said Eve, as it buzzed in the air. 

“I seriously can’t believe you’ve never had one of these.” She switched it off for now.

“Yeah, I guess I have lived kind of a sheltered life, like you said.” Eve admitted. 

“What about a strap? Ever had one of those?”

“A what?”

“A strap-on. You know, you can attach a dick?”

“Oh, haha, I was married, remember? My husband came with a dick attached.”

“Did he please you, Eve? Did he give you pleasure in the bedroom?” 

Eve thought about it for a few seconds. “Yeah, he did,” she said unconvincingly. “Sometimes,” she added.

“Hm,” Villanelle replied. 

“Whatever. I don’t want to talk about him right now.”

Eve sat back down on the bed and leaned in to kiss Villanelle, who responded with “Mmmmmm.” She played with Eve’s hair as Eve removed Villanelle’s clothing, one piece at a time. 

Suddenly Villanelle said, “Stand up, Eve.”

“Wha… on the bed?

“Uh huh,” Villanelle replied. She looked at a fixture above the bed near the ceiling. It was a small metal hook affixed with bolts. Villanelle wasn’t sure what it was actually for, but she could think of a good use for it. 

Eve stood up, and Villanelle found the cloth waist tie from one of their robes. She stood on the bed next to Eve and kissed her lips softly while running her fingertips up and down her arms until Eve shivered. Villanelle slowly guided Eve’s arms up until her hands were above her head, and then she wrapped them with the soft cloth and tied them to the hook.

Eve looked meekly at Villanelle and let out a brief whimper. “Shhh,” Villanelle answered, “Not too tight.”

Villanelle proceeded to kiss Eve up and down her entire body, caressing and cupping her breasts, tracing her fingers along her curves, and building her up into a heightened state of arousal. 

Villanelle got on her knees. She rubbed Eve and kissed her thighs without touching her pussy just yet. 

“Oh Villanelle, ohhh my god you drive me crazy!” she shouted. 

She switched on the vibrator and spread Eve’s legs. She moved it around Eve’s upper thighs and along her pussy lips, teasing. 

Then finally she brought the buzzing tool to the place Eve was craving it, and Eve yelled with delight. Villanelle massaged Eve’s clit, changing up the intensity until she was squirming and writhing and gasping for breath. Villanelle knew what she was doing. Finally Eve let out a colossal moan as her body convulsed in orgasm. She stood exhausted, shaking, and breathing heavily with her hands still tied above. 

Villanelle had become so excited and wet while pleasuring Eve. Breathing heavy now herself, Villanelle moved the vibrator down between her own legs. Eve watched as Villanelle moved it around, stopping on her clit before sliding it in and out of herself. It didn’t take long before the humming vibrations caused her body to shake with rapturous delight. Eve wriggled out of her restraint and laid down beside her lover. They looked at each other and smiled. 

“Oh. My. God.” Eve said. “You are amazing, Villanelle.”

Villanelle grinned proudly, feeling content. 

They relished these moments. New love, requited. Pure satisfaction. Endorphins flowing.


	18. Chapter 18

Eve and Villanelle checked into a comfortable hotel near MI6 headquarters in London.

“I guess we should look for a regular place to live,” Eve suggested as they unlocked the door to their hotel room. 

Villanelle walked around the room checking the security of the windows and picking up objects to determine their fitness as weapons. She looked in the closets and under the bed.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Eve,” she said. “Let’s wait until we see what assignment Carolyn has for us. It could be anything.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

Villanelle changed the subject. “The first thing you want to do when you walk into any room is look around to find the best weapons. Many random objects in a room will actually make great weapons. Tell me what you see. Besides my firearms.”

“Uh, the lamp?”

“Yes, the lamp could be used to smash someone’s head or break some ribs or a hand. Good. What else?”

“I don’t know,” said Eve.

“See this curtain rod?” Villanelle reached up, quickly lifted it off the hook, and slid it free from the curtain. She swung it around deftly like someone practiced in the martial arts. “This could be a good weapon,” she said before reattaching it. Eve looked on in amazement. “What else?” Villanelle asked. Eve shrugged. “Come here,” Villanelle said as she walked into the bathroom. She removed the rectangular porcelain cover from the toilet tank and swung it slowly at head level in demonstration. “This is a great weapon. An excellent weapon.” Villanelle nodded in agreement with herself. 

“Yeah. It looks like it could be good,” replied Eve.

“I smashed one over a guy’s head once, and it broke into pieces.” Villanelle laughed. “I then picked up one of the pieces and stabbed him with it, so it was like a second bonus weapon.” She laughed even harder. 

“Yeahhh, okay,” Eve said, unamused.

Villanelle noticed Eve wasn’t laughing. “What? You said you wanted to learn. I am teaching you.”

“Yes, of course, I know. Thank you.”

Villanelle put the toilet cover back, and they unpacked their things. 

“Eve, I want you to take this gun Konstantin gave me. I will use my Glock. You should always have a pistol on you as a primary weapon. Do you know how to use it?”

“Yes, but I suppose I should practice.”

“We can go for a drive one day and do some target practice,” Villanelle said. She showed her how to load and eject the cartridges and then handed her the piece. “Just be very careful, Eve. I don’t want you to get hurt. If anything happens to you…” Villanelle was overcome with emotion. She clenched her jaw and held back tears, looking firmly at the ceiling. She took a deep breath and said, “We should go to a sporting goods store to pick up a couple of knives for our secondary weapons. A nice blade is easy to conceal in an ankle holster and can be very useful.”

“Yes, we will do that for sure. Listen, I was thinking about something you said before. About how, you know, now that we’re together, you want to be different. And be better.” Eve looked up into Villanelle’s striking eyes. 

“Yes baby I did say that, and I meant it.” Villanelle approached and put her hands on Eve’s arms, rubbing them slowly. “Why? What about it?”

“Well, I was just thinking, this could be our chance. I mean if we both work for MI6, have legit jobs there, maybe we could make a life here in London, you know, have a home, not be mixed up in anything too dangerous.”

“Eve, what do you think this kind of job is?” Villanelle wrinkled her forehead. “You can’t have it both ways. You can have safe and boring or you can have dangerous and exciting.”

“I know. It’s just ever since I realized that we could be together, and that we could be so good together, and… happy, it makes me want to be safe and boring again so we can just enjoy our time together, you know?”

“Yes baby. I hear you, but you and me… Let’s be real. We will never be happy with safe and boring. We need some adventure in our lives!” Villanelle shouted, throwing her arms up in the air for emphasis. “Life is too short to deny ourselves this adventure. Living a real life, a good life, means going outside of your comfort zone, experiencing new things. Those are the true ways of living. We can’t just exist, Eve, we can’t just drag our feet through another boring day. We have to take risks, jump into the fire, we have to be alive!” She looked at Eve, who was now the one getting emotional. She seemed disappointed. Villanelle hugged her and caressed her hair. “But let’s take it slow for now,” she continued. “This is a new beginning for us. We don’t know what it’s going to be like yet, right? We have to wait and see. Listen, as long as we stick together, everything will work out. We know that much. We can count on that much. You and me against the world baby. Okay?”

Eve smiled. “Yeah I like that,” she said. “You and me against the world.”

“Come on, let’s go out to eat. I feel like spaghetti.”


	19. Chapter 19

After a lovely dinner at a nearby Italian restaurant, the couple stopped into a clothing shop where they tried on clothes, giving each other advice and compliments. They left with some professional looking outfits and shoes for their meeting at MI6 headquarters the next morning. Both women were apprehensive about meeting with Carolyn.

Eve wondered if Villanelle could handle simply existing in a professional setting. Maybe for a while, but she would probably need to be out in the field for the most part. She is such an enigma, Eve thought. So unbelievably skilled and intelligent yet so childlike and arrogant. She thought about how she would balance the relationships between herself, Carolyn, and Villanelle. She wanted to impress upon Carolyn that she was in charge when it came to Villanelle, that it was understood Villanelle would do as Eve asked. Eve’s curiosity about how the power dynamics would play out overall was almost overwhelming. 

Villanelle wondered how much red tape bureaucrat bullshit she’d put up with. She preferred working on her own, because people are generally unreliable, obviously, but if it would make Eve happy, and they could work together doing exciting things, she would certainly do her best to endure whatever Carolyn brought around for them to do. No guarantees, though. If she sensed Eve were in any real danger, she would pull her out of there in a heartbeat, no matter the cost.

When they returned to their room, they showered together. Villanelle liked to wash Eve’s hair. She ran her fingers through the black curls, rubbing and massaging as the soapy bubbles squeezed between her fingers. Eve scrubbed Villanelle’s body gently with a washcloth, enjoying the feel of her lengthy curves and satiny skin. They shared a few kisses as little waterfalls ran down their bodies, cleansing and relaxing them.

Once dry and clad in robes, they decided to watch a movie. They sat in bed side by side, hips touching, leaning back against the headboard with the covers over their legs. It was a ridiculous Lifetime movie, and they made fun of the flaws and laughed hysterically at the missteps by the characters. Soon Eve yawned and slouched toward Villanelle, who lifted her arm so Eve could lean against her. She dozed off. Villanelle turned the volume way down so it wouldn’t disturb her sleep, but she left the tv on because she needed its light to see. With Eve snuggled up to her side sleeping peacefully, Villanelle sat motionless, staring at her face. She memorized every line, every wrinkle, every angle, every curve. I would die to protect you, Eve, she thought. When Eve eventually rustled and turned over, Villanelle finally closed her eyes and lay down to sleep.


	20. Chapter 20

Eve and Villanelle arrived at MI6 headquarters early Friday morning. They looked sharp and carried themselves with purpose. Carolyn met them in the lobby. When she saw Villanelle’s short, dark hair, she said, “Oh, I like your new hairdo.” Villanelle replied, “Why thank you, Carolyn.”

Carolyn gestured for them to go outside. A waiting car took the three women to a small apartment on a narrow street in Kennington. Eve was totally surprised to be greeted by Elena when they walked into the room.

“Hey, you!” Eve said.

“Heyyyy!” Elena replied. 

They hugged enthusiastically. 

“It’s so good to see you,” said Eve with a genuine smile. “I didn’t know you’d be coming back.”

“Yeah, well, me neither. But Carolyn called and said she really needed some support staff, so I pulled myself away from my busy, exciting life to come here and support all of you… international women of mystery,” Elena said with her usual snark.

“Ah, wonderful!” exclaimed Eve. She turned to find Villanelle gazing at Elena with intense curiosity. 

“This is Villanelle,” Eve said to Elena.

“International woman of mystery,” Villanelle added, as she leaned forward to offer Elena her outstretched hand. 

Elena’s lips parted slightly when her eyes met Villanelle’s. She stepped forward and shook her hand. “Well hello, Villanelle. It’s… such a pleasure to finally meet you,” she said.

“And you as well,” replied Villanelle with a barely perceptible smile. They were still shaking hands and staring into each other’s eyes when Eve interrupted with a loud “Okay!” to break the long, awkward greeting.

“Right,” said Carolyn. “So, this is our new headquarters. Let’s get down to business.” She stood at the front of the room, where she had some photographs taped to the wall. “We have uncovered a money laundering scheme being run out of a club in Shoreditch.”

As they listened, Villanelle folded her arms and sat on top of one of the three desks in the room. Eve and Elena sat in chairs behind the other desks.

“We received a tip about some large sums of money transferred into a bank account in the Caymans that we traced back to the club. We believe the manager is part of the operation. But it’s not just that. There is evidence of human trafficking too. Girls.” The club owner is a Saudi. His nephew, Omar Kattan, is the manager.”

Carolyn sighed and looked down at the floor. “Now, obviously, our main concern is to rescue the girls, but ultimately, we are looking to take down the entire operation.”

She looked at each person in the room before continuing. “This is an unofficial assignment, which means you’ll have certain... freedoms, but you’ll receive limited support. I can provide weapons, identification, some funding, but that’s about it.”

Eve and Villanelle looked at each other.

“You will be compensated well.”

“Okay,” Villanelle said eagerly, “Let’s do this.”


	21. Chapter 21

Carolyn nodded at Villanelle and then looked over at Eve, who gave her nod of approval too. 

“Okay then,” said Carolyn. “I have to go tend to some business in Richmond, so I’ll leave you to it. Give me your cell numbers.” 

“Oh, we have to get phones,” said Eve. “We left our old ones in Rome.”

“Yes, well, do that, and send me your numbers when you do.”

Carolyn turned to leave. “Wait,” said Eve. “I’ll walk out with you.”

She hurried behind Carolyn into the hallway and walked down the stairs with her. 

“What happened with the Twelve? Why aren’t they operational anymore?” Eve asked. 

“Word has it they had to… dissolve. For now. They lost a lot of resources in a short period of time. Everyone took what they could and ran. I don’t know what will happen going forward, but I don’t expect them to be concerned about you or your girlfriend anytime soon.”

“My—”

“Keep me briefed on your progress, Eve, and be careful.” Carolyn gave Eve a little salute with two fingers and walked away. 

“Okay, will do!” Eve shouted after her. 

Villanelle and Elena were laughing playfully when Eve got back to headquarters. Elena turned to Eve and said, “She is just delightful!” Villanelle smiled innocently.

Eve replied, “Yes, she is. Now let’s get to work. Villanelle, we need to go get phones. Elena, pull up everything you can on Omar Kattan. Let’s go.”

Eve motioned Villanelle toward the door, and Elena went to her desk and opened her laptop.

When the couple got outside, Eve asked, “So what’s up with you and Elena?”

“What do you mean?”

“Come on, you know what I mean.”

“No,” Villanelle said, “I don’t.”

“You were flirting with her.”

“Well she’s gorgeous. Can you blame me?”

Eve stopped walking. “Villanelle!” She exclaimed. 

“What? What is it baby?”

Eve looked up at Villanelle somewhat impatiently.

“Oh,” Villanelle said. “I get it. You’re jealous.”

“Well is this how it’s going to be every time you meet a beautiful woman?”

“You’re the one who’s still married, Eve. Or have you forgotten that?”

“Yeah, actually I kind of did.”

“Eve, I love you, and only you, okay? I have made a friend!” She said it as if Eve should be proud. “Elena is really funny. I like her, and we have to work with her, so it’s a good thing that we are getting along.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Okay. I guess I was feeling a little jealous.”

“Don’t be so insecure baby.” She grabbed Eve’s right hand and held it up to hers. Remember our promise, okay? Nobody ever comes between us.”

“Okay,” Eve said, reassured.

They got phones and texted Carolyn their new numbers. 

“So what’s the next step?” Villanelle asked Eve. 

“I guess we should start surveillance on Omar and the club. Let’s see what Elena found out.”

They were almost back to headquarters when Eve said, “Hey will you go get us some breakfast?” She wanted to talk to Elena alone. 

“Sure baby. I saw a cafe around the corner. What do you want?”

“Croissants. Coffee. Thanks love.”

Villanelle looked around before giving Eve a little smooch. Eve went upstairs.


	22. Chapter 22

Elena asked where Villanelle was when Eve came back alone. “I sent her for croissants and coffee.” 

“Ooh, lovely. She’s charming,” Elena said. “And hot.”

“And amazing in bed,” Eve replied, grinning. 

“What? No!” Elena literally jumped out of her chair. “You two are a thing?”

Eve said, “Yes. Oh my god, Elena.”

“I want to hear every single juicy detail. Wait, what about Niko?”

“Ugh, I know. I mean it’s over with him. It just wasn’t working anymore... With Villanelle, it’s like this cosmic attraction. And I feel so fucking good about it. We’re in love.”

“Oh my god Eve! This is huge!”

“I know! She is so… everything.” Eve said, closing her eyes. 

“Wow, I guess I won’t hit on her then.”

“Yeah, she’s mine, bitch,” Eve said jokingly. 

“Haha, got it. No worries. I didn’t even know you were into women.”

“Yeah… I wasn’t. I mean I never really thought about it until her. It just all of a sudden made sense. I’m still trying to figure all that out. But I know this is right. It feels so right.”

“Wow. So tell me what happened. This is wild.”

“It was like a whirlwind. We were chasing each other for so long. It was… a rocky start, but we couldn’t deny this force pulling us together. So we started to get to know each other better. We ended up on the run, which was really tense, but we got through it, and we’ve been… just learning each other, and exploring each other, and it just keeps getting better and better.”

“Eve, I am honestly so happy for you.”

“And let me tell you, the sex, she knows how to do things. I mean she drives me absolutely crazy. She just touches me once and I’m on fire.” 

“Stop it, you’re turning me on.”

Eve laughed. Catching up with Elena felt so good, but it also reminded her of how much she missed Bill. This was a pain point she had yet to get through with Villanelle. She was still angry about it.

“I mean. It’s not like totally perfect. She’s got issues. I’ve got issues. You know.”

“No, not really. I think you’re the only two people in the world who have issues.”

“Haha very funny,” Eve said.

Villanelle of course had been listening outside the door a while. She came in with the breakfast goods, and Eve immediately said, “I told Elena about us.”

“Wow, Eve, What happened to acting like ‘just friends’ at the office?”

“Well it’s just Elena. She’s inner circle.”

“This is the whole circle though, right?” Villanelle asked, pointing at the three of them.

“Yeah, although I’m pretty sure Carolyn is on to us as well,” Eve replied.

“Can’t get much past her,” Elena said.

“Look, I don’t have a problem with any of it. I’m not ashamed to say I love you, Eve.”

“I know baby.”

“Oh my god get a room,” said Elena. 

Villanelle winked at Eve and asked Elena what she found out about Omar Kattan. 

“Not much, actually,” Elena answered. “He was born here, went to prep school, got a business degree, and he’s been running the club for a few years. His family comes from big oil money.”

“Hm,” said Villanelle. “Sounds squeaky clean.”

“Well we’ll have to dig up some dirt on him,” Eve said. “Villanelle can you do one of your disguises and go talk to him?”

“No, I cannot do that. We have to watch him first. We have to learn everything about his activities, his habits. What he does and who he does it with. We need a car.”

“Right,” Eve responded. “Do you have a car, Elena?”

“Nope,” she said. “But my sister has one we could use.”

“No,” Villanelle said. “Nothing connected to us. Eve, let’s go get our new IDs from Carolyn, and then we’ll go car shopping.”

“Sounds like a plan.”


	23. Chapter 23

Villanelle haggled expertly with the used car salesmen. They came away with an inconspicuous Ford Focus in an ugly shade of brown. At a nearby sporting goods store, Villanelle browsed the weapons and picked out a small, efficient dagger with an ankle holster. She bought one for herself and one for Eve, along with binoculars and a camera with a telephoto lens. 

As she drove them back to headquarters, she asked Eve, “Have you ever done surveillance before?”

“No, not like this.”

“It’s very difficult. You almost have to make yourself not human. Do you know what I mean?”

“Um, how so?”

“Well, you know, humans are easily bored, easily distracted. But there is no room for inattention in this situation. Your focus must stay sharp and constant. It is hard for people to maintain that for long periods of time. You have to train your mind to do it. Be more like a machine.”

“Have you done a lot of this type of work?”

“Yes. A lot. I have even watched you before, Eve.”

“Oh really?”

“Yes, in Berlin, when you went shopping for clothes. Remember?”

Eve looked down at her lap. Berlin. Bill. She was devastated to lose Bill. Villanelle knew where Eve’s mind had just gone, and she wished she hadn’t brought it up. She sighed heavily. “I’m sorry, Eve.”

“Bill was such a good friend, and a good person. You took that away. I’m so mad at you for that.”

“I didn’t know that at the time, Eve. He was annoying me. He grabbed me.” A pocket of rage simmered in Villanelle, and it came out in her voice. She didn’t take criticism well. Villanelle killed when she wanted to or needed to, and then she didn’t think about it anymore. Once it’s done, it’s done.

“I know that, Villanelle, but I’m allowed to have feelings about it, and I need to be allowed to talk about them.”

Villanelle clenched her jaw and stared resolutely at the road.

“So that’s all you have to say?”

“Eve,” Villanelle’s voice grew louder. “I said I’m sorry. There’s nothing else I can do.”

“Okay, don’t yell at me. You can acknowledge my feelings. And listen when I want to talk about it.”

Villanelle processed what Eve just said. It made sense. She had a realization in that moment—being younger and less experienced in relationships, she had a lot to learn from Eve. “You’re right,” she said in a calmer tone. “I acknowledge your feelings.”

Eve seemed surprised, as if she expected an argument. “I really miss him.”

“I know baby. I’m sorry.”

Villanelle reached over and held Eve’s hand. They drove in silence the rest of the way back to headquarters.

Elena explained that her further research on Omar Kattan yielded little information. “He has almost no internet presence. His taxes and driving record are clean. He’s not married, no kids. He lives near the club. Not much else to go on.” Elena handed Eve a small piece of paper with Kattan’s address written on it.

“Okay,” Villanelle said. “We’ll go sit on him and see what we find out.”

Eve and Villanelle talked in the car after getting food and water for their surveillance mission.

Villanelle said, “Weapons check. Primary?”

Eve touched the gun holstered on her side. “Check,” She said. 

“Secondary?”

Eve felt the knife holstered to her ankle and confirmed with Villanelle. 

All frivolity had disappeared from Villanelle’s demeanor. She had little dimples in her forehead that materialized when she was in a serious mood. Eve saw them now. 

She turned to Eve and said, “The most important thing is to remain unseen. If anything happens, let me handle it.”

“Okay.”


	24. Chapter 24

It was late afternoon when they arrived at Kattan’s address, a modest two-story house in a quiet residential neighborhood. Villanelle parked up the street where they had a clear view of the front door. She peered at the house though the binoculars, but there was no sign of anyone. She noticed a small security camera above the door.

“Later, once we figure out his routine, I will go inside and look around,” Villanelle said. 

“How do you know you can get in?” Eve asked. 

Villanelle cackled. “I can get in anywhere, Eve.” She laughed again. 

“I wish I had your confidence.”

“It’s just training.”

They sat in the car watching the house and the happenings of the neighborhood. A middle-aged woman walked her dog, a couple rode by on bicycles, squirrels zipped around in the trees.

After a couple hours, a taxi pulled up to the house, and a man dressed casually got out. 

“That’s him,” said Eve. Villanelle confirmed with the binoculars based on the driver’s license photo Elena showed them. Eve wrote down the name of the cab company and the cab number and license plate. 

Omar walked in the front door carrying a briefcase. He emerged half hour later wearing a suit, opened his garage door, and drove off in a sporty blue car.

Villanelle set the binoculars on the seat beside her and put the car in drive. She followed with ample distance so as not to be noticed. Eve called Elena and gave her the details about the cab. “Let me know where they picked him up. Thanks Elena,” she said. 

He drove straight to the club, and Villanelle parked in view of the rear entrance where he went in. “Friday night, it will be a good night for business. We should get some eyes in there,” she said. “Maybe Elena could go? We just need to know the layout and what security is in place.”

Eve called Elena and asked if she’d be up for going to the club that night. “Drinks are on Carolyn,” Eve said optimistically. 

“Actually, I have a friend in town this weekend, so that might be fun.”

“Great,” Eve said. She flashed Villanelle a thumbs up. “You don’t have to do anything except note the layout of the club, where the manager’s office is, and where the security cameras and guards are.”

“Okay. I can do that,” Elena replied. “So the cab picked him up at a hotel near Hyde Park.”

“Hm. Okay, thanks Elena.”

They hung up and Eve asked Villanelle what she thought the next steps should be. “Well, he could be in there all night,” she answered. “I’d like to put a tracker on his car. Elena can watch him from inside for now, and we’ll continue surveillance tomorrow. Let’s go get the tracker, and I’ll plant it when the sun goes down.”

As they drove off, Eve called Carolyn about the tracker, and they picked it up from MI6 headquarters before heading back to their hotel. Villanelle changed into an all black mechanic suit and a black baseball cap. “Why don’t you go down and get us some champagne? We had a good first day on the job. We should celebrate.”

“That sounds nice,” Eve replied.

Now that it was dark, Villanelle drove back to the club. She parked a few blocks away, tucked all of her hair up into the baseball cap, and walked toward the rear entrance, where she hoped Kattan’s car was still parked. She breathed in the crisp evening air, feeling refreshed. It was good to be out working alone. She liked working with Eve, but being by herself felt more natural.

Omar’s blue car was still there. She looked around and approached after seeing no one nearby. She crouched down and placed the tracker underneath the car when suddenly a security man exited the rear door of the club. Villanelle glanced out of the corner of her eye but stayed crouched down.

“Hey! What are you doing?” He said. Villanelle made her decision instantly. She remained crouched, knowing her silence would prompt the man to approach her. She pulled the dagger from its ankle holster, and when the man was within striking distance, she spun and sliced his femoral artery with the full force of her strength. In her very next movement, she brought the knife to his throat and made a clean slice across the carotid artery. The man gargled and grasped at his leg and his throat as he lost his balance and fell to the ground. Villanelle stood over him and watched until the life drained from his eyes. Then she holstered her dagger and walked back to the car.


	25. Chapter 25

When Villanelle returned, Eve was sitting comfortably in a lounge chair reading a magazine. “How’d it go?” She asked. 

“Good,” Villanelle replied. “I got the tracker in place.” She walked over to kiss her hello and noticed the champagne chilling in the ice bucket. “Hey let’s take a bath,” she suggested. 

“Yeah, good idea,” said Eve. 

Villanelle opened the laptop from Carolyn that would enable them to follow Omar Kattan’s vehicle. Still at the club. She closed the laptop, brought the champagne into the bathroom, and turned on the water in the tub. She then rinsed the blood off her dagger. Watching the dark red liquid swirl away against the bright white porcelain of the sink gave her a feeling of satisfaction.

She undressed completely and poured the champagne into two plastic cups, one for her and one for Eve. “Eve!” She shouted. Eve came into the bathroom and smiled when she saw Villanelle standing there naked, holding the two cups and looking frisky. 

Villanelle bit her lower lip. Eve looked her up and down. “Wow you are stunning, my love.”

“Thank you baby. I am all yours. Here.” She handed Eve the drink. “Not proper champagne glasses, but who cares.”

“I don’t care,” Eve said as she took a sip.

Villanelle reached down and shut off the running water as the tub was about half full. She took a big swig of her drink, set it down, and walked over to Eve. She put her hands into Eve’s soft hair and ran her fingers through. Her breathing grew heavier and her nostrils flared as she affectionately stroked Eve’s heavenly curls. She finally rested her hands on the sides of Eve’s head and looked into her eyes. Eve looked up at her adoringly.

“You are so beautiful, Eve,” Villanelle whispered. Eve smiled. Villanelle leaned in and kissed her tenderly on the lips. “So beautiful.” Eve’s heart started beating faster. Villanelle gently lifted Eve’s shirt over her head. She wasn’t wearing a bra. Villanelle kissed her again, this time with more vigor, as she started unbuttoning her jeans. Eve stepped out of her pants and drank half the champagne in her glass before putting it down. Villanelle placed her hands inside Eve’s panties and massaged her ass as they kissed some more, and then she guided Eve’s panties down her legs and all the way off. The naked women stepped into the roomy hotel bathtub together.

They sat down facing each other with their legs intertwined. “Lean back,” Villanelle said. She began lightly washing Eve’s shoulders with the sponge. Eve put her head back and relished the attention from her lover. “Mmm,” she said. Villanelle gently washed Eve’s neck and arms, her chest and sides, running her fingers after the sponge to enjoy the soft, wet surface of Eve’s shapely body. 

Villanelle leaned forward and sucked on Eve’s nipples until she began moaning quietly. Energy gathered in Eve’s groin, and she craved Villanelle’s touch there. 

Just then, Villanelle looked up and said, “Sit up here.” She guided her up to the corner of the tub. Eve leaned against the wall with just her legs in the water. Villanelle got on her knees and kissed her neck as their slippery bodies pressed and slid against each other.

Villanelle reached out of the tub and grabbed the champagne bottle. She spread Eve’s legs and slowly poured the champagne onto her pussy while grinning up at her devilishly.

“Ooh. Aha. Oh my god!” Eve exclaimed. She caressed Villanelle’s hair roughly. The cold champagne felt strange at first but then amazing. The popping bubbles teased her with a constant tingling at her clit. She breathed heavily as Villanelle continued pouring a slow steady stream over Eve’s most sensitive parts. Eve moaned, yearning for her lover’s touch.

Almost as if reading her mind, Villanelle put the bottle down and gently guided Eve back into the tub. The warm water soothed her throbbing pussy where the cold champagne had just been. Villanelle got on her belly in the water in front of Eve and kissed her inner thighs, her face going in and out of the water. Then she placed her hands under Eve’s bottom and lifted her pelvis until her pussy was right in front of her and partly out of the water. Villanelle put her mouth between Eve’s legs and began licking all over the folds and creases and finally licking and sucking at her clit.

“Ohhhhh my god Villanelle.” The combination of the bath and the champagne and Villanelle’s skill and initiative made her body surge with emotion and pleasure. She began to tremble. Villanelle continued pleasing her until she could feel by the rhythm of her hips that Eve was close to orgasm. Her face was contorted into an expression of pure joy. Villanelle worked her tongue until Eve’s body shook in the water, creating splashing waves throughout the tub. Eve’s orgasmic wail brought tears running down her face. 

Eve’s body went limp and her eyes closed. Villanelle propped herself up alongside Eve and traced a tear down her cheek with her thumb. “Eve, are you crying?” She asked. “Baby?”

Eve opened her eyes part way and looked at Villanelle. “No. Ah. I mean yes. I’m not crying.” Two more tears streamed down her face. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to cry. It just… it just feels so good.” She sniffled, and Villanelle looked at her compassionately. “It just feels so good. Being with you. Everything. It just feels so good,” Eve repeated.

“Aw, you are so precious,” Villanelle responded, stroking her face and hair. “I will always be here with you. I love you so much Eve”

“I love you too Villanelle.”

They cuddled in the tub until their fingers and toes looked like raisins.


	26. Chapter 26

After they dried off and got into their pajamas, Eve saw she had a voicemail. She picked it up and listened. “It’s Elena,” she said. “There was a lot of commotion at the club. Police activity. Kattan came out of the office for a little while but otherwise stayed in there the whole time she was there. Two security guys at each entrance and two at his office door. She saw five cameras inside.”

Villanelle avoided eye contact with Eve, who noticed her guilty expression. She put the phone down and said, “Villanelle, What happened?”

“Ah, there was… an incident.”

“An incident.”

“Yes, I was compromised. I would have been seen placing the tracker on Omar’s car, so I had to eliminate the threat.”

“What does that mean?”

“That means he is dead.”

“Jesus Christ, Villanelle!”

“What?!”

Eve shook her head and looked at the floor, frustrated. “I told you, you can’t just go around killing people,” she said calmly. 

“Eve, I will do whatever it takes to accomplish our missions. If you can’t handle that, then what are you even doing here?”

Eve stood up and angrily pointed her finger at Villanelle. “That’s not fair, Villanelle! I’m just trying to be reasonable and you’re being crazy!”

Villanelle felt the rage creep up within her. Her face made a scowl and she breathed heavily. She clenched her jaw and quietly said, “I’m not crazy.” Her breathing increased and she said again louder, “I’m not crazy, Eve!” She started grabbing objects around the room and throwing them, smashing them. Eve walked up to her and tried to place her hands on her to calm her, but Villanelle shoved her away.

Villanelle ultimately smashed the hotel television into pieces by kicking it and throwing it to the floor then stomping on it. Her saliva was flying out of her mouth as she screamed one last time, “I’m not crazy!”

Then she sat on the floor and put her head in her hands. Eve’s mouth hung open as she stood looking at her disturbed lover.

“Hey—“

“Just leave me alone, Eve. Just leave me alone.”

Eve walked over to the lounge chair and sat down. 

Back at MI5 headquarters, Niko Polastri worked on convincing an agent that he didn’t need to be in witness protection or any kind of protective custody. 

“Look, she said she wasn’t going to kill me. I’m not in any danger. Just let me go, please. I just want to go home.”

The agents reluctantly granted his request, and he drove to the house where he used to live with Eve. He opened a beer and paced back and forth in the kitchen. 

“That fucking bitch. I’m going to fucking kill her,” he said.


	27. Chapter 27

Villanelle sobbed silently on the floor for a few minutes. Eve walked over and sat beside her when it seemed like she had regained her composure. “I told you I’m not normal, Eve. I will never be normal.”

“I know baby. It’s okay.” Eve put her arms around her and held her tightly. “We’ll figure it out together. Please, don’t worry. You are so much more than normal. You are smart, and talented, and amazing. Yes, you are… different, but we are all different. Being human is unpredictable… and vulnerable… for all of us. Normal isn’t just one thing, like, one definable thing.” She paused for a moment. “We just do the best we can. It’s all we can do.”

Villanelle did not seem encouraged by Eve’s words. She stared blankly at the floor. 

Eve continued, “Hey we need to get our own place, our own things. Tomorrow we’ll start looking at apartments, okay?”

Finally Villanelle spoke up. “Eve, no. We are right in the middle of a job. We need to continue surveillance on Kattan. Let’s focus. Okay? We can go apartment shopping when we are done with the job.”

“Of course, you’re right. Let’s get some rest and then it’s back to work first thing in the morning.”

Eve leaned in and kissed Villanelle on the cheek. “You and me against the world, remember?” Eve asked.

Villanelle almost smiled. “Yeah,” she said gloomily.

They climbed into bed feeling unsettled. They didn’t cuddle. They both shifted and worried about the future. Fortunately, the exhaustion brought on by their long, busy day carried them off to sleep before long.

When morning came, Villanelle got up, showered, and checked the location of Kattan’s car. She watched it drive to the Hyde Park area as Eve rustled in bed. “Eve, wake up,” she said. “Omar is back at that same hotel where Elena saw him yesterday.”

“Let’s go. Get dressed. I want you to drop me off at his house then go sit on him at the hotel.”

“Okay,” Eve said as she scrambled to get dressed. “I’ll get the hotel guest list when I’m there too.”

Villanelle gathered some tools and her weapons. She wore all black with her hair up in a baseball cap. Eve took the binoculars and the camera with the telephoto lens.

“Do you have your weapons?” Villanelle asked. 

“Yes,” Eve replied.

Eve dropped her girlfriend off a few blocks away from Kattan’s house. Villanelle approached from the back alley. She disabled the rear security camera with one shot from her Glock equipped with a sound suppressor. 

The back door bolt was a type she had worked with before. She knew how to partially disassemble it and forcefully dislodge it from its slot. The doorknob had a standard five-piston tumbler lock, which she finessed open using the smaller tools. She was in. The first thing she did was search the house for the presence of others. Villanelle was alone.

She found the office and started going through all the drawers. Bank statements, bills, invoices. Nothing unusual. She continued searching the other rooms. The bedroom—boring. Hardly anything in the refrigerator. Blank walls, no art. Omar seemed like the world’s most basic guy.

He is not in charge of anything, she thought. He’s just a pawn. He’s someone they can trust to keep his head down and his mouth shut. She called Eve. 

“Eve, change in plan. I’m going to wait here and have a little talk with Omar.”

“Wait what? That’s too dangerous.”

Villanelle chuckled. “Eve I think this guy is just some kind of middle man. I think he just does what he is told, which is keep the club running and deliver money.”

“I think you might be right. Oh shit, Villanelle, he just came out of the hotel.”

“Good. Do not let him see you.”

“He’s with someone. They’re going to separate cars.”

“Eve, follow the other guy.”

“No! I need to come get you.”

“Eve, listen to me,” Villanelle said firmly. “Do not worry about me. I will be fine, and I will call you later. Do not come here. Follow the other man. You need to find out where he goes.”

“Okay,” said Eve reluctantly. She snapped a picture of the other man with her phone before he got in his car. She texted it to Elena along with a photo of the hotel guest list before she took off after him.


	28. Chapter 28

Eve dialed Elena on speaker as she drove several car lengths behind the mystery man’s black car. “Hey, I just sent you a list of the hotel guests. Can you cross check it with Kattan and his uncle and any of the employees at the club?”

“Sure, I’m on it,” said Elena. 

“Thank you. And see if you can get a name for the guy I just sent you.”

“Got it.”

“Oh and I’m following him in a black car driving east on Fleet Street. License plate W628AMK. Find out what you can on that. Villanelle is at Kattan’s. She’s going to talk to him.”

“Ah, scary,” Elena answered. 

“She’ll be fine. She’s very… capable.”

“Okay. Be careful, Eve.”

“I will. Thanks Elena.”

They hung up and Eve focused like a hawk. Her heartbeat raced since she began the chase after this mystery man. All of her senses seemed heightened. She remembered Villanelle saying they needed some excitement in their lives. Being out in the field, here it was. She put on her sunglasses and stepped on the gas. 

Villanelle pondered several options for incapacitating Omar as she paced around in his house waiting for him to come home. She didn’t know if he had any combat training, so she couldn’t risk being too lenient with the initial attack. More severe would be best. Since she brought her Glock, she decided to simply threaten him with that and shoot him in the gut if he didn’t comply right away. 

She assumed he would park in the garage and enter through the door to the kitchen, but she stood in a position where she could surprise him if he came in the front door as well. A hammer and a roll of duct tape she found in the garage waited hidden in the kitchen for her use upon his arrival. Eventually she heard the car pull in to the garage. Perfect. Here we go, she thought. She got out her pistol and ducked behind the kitchen island. He walked in, set his keys on the counter, and went to open the refrigerator. Just as he touched the handle, Villanelle appeared from behind the island pointing the gun directly at him.

She spoke quickly and with authority. “Omar Kattan I have a Glock 17 pointed at your chest and I will pull this trigger immediately if you don’t put your hands up right now. Now!”

Omar slowly raised his hands above his head. 

“Don’t do anything stupid!” She shouted. “Get on your knees.” He complied. She tossed the duct tape at him. “Use this to tie your ankles together. Now! Do it now!” She ordered. 

Kattan obeyed. She kicked a wooden chair from the kitchen table to the middle of the room. “Sit there,” she said, still aiming the Glock directly at his chest. She ordered him to tie one hand to the chair’s arm rest with the duct tape, and then she tied the other hand herself. Not quite satisfied, she attached his torso to the chair’s back with several wraps of tape.

“What’s going on? Why are you doing this?” He asked timidly.

“No,” she said. “I am going to talk, and you are going to listen. Where is your phone?”

“In my back pocket.”

She reached in and took it out. “Unlock code?” 

He sighed. She hit him upside the head with the butt of her pistol. “Unlock code?” She said again.

“Ugh,” he said, “2528.”

Villanelle found his most frequent contact. “Who is Karim?” She asked. 

“He is my cousin.”

“Look, I know there is shady business happening at your club, Omar. I need you to tell me about it. What you tell me now will determine whether we have a happy ending here today or a bad, very bloody ending here today.” She gave him a fierce stare as she pulled out a nail from her pocket, one she found in the garage, and drove it through his hand with the hammer.


	29. Chapter 29

Eve followed the mystery man to a docking area along the Thames. He drove through a guarded security gate, so she had no choice but to hang back. She parked the car hoping to find him with the binoculars from a distance. She rang Villanelle. Straight to voicemail.

Omar Kattan screamed when the nail went through his hand and into the chair’s wooden arm. Villanelle gave him a knowing smirk and slapped a piece of duct tape over his mouth. He became severely agitated, his eyes bulging, snot coming out of his nose.

“Okay, okay,” Villanelle said, standing in front of him with her arms crossed. “Shhh, don’t panic. I will not hurt you anymore… if you tell me what I need to know.” She spoke to him as you would a child. “Do you understand, Omar?” She looked at him wide-eyed. He nodded enthusiastically. “Now if I take off your tape, don’t scream, okay? We can get through this very quickly. We’re just going to have a little talk, and then I will leave you alone.” She ripped the tape off his mouth and gave him a moment to catch his breath. 

“Good,” she said. “Now tell me about Karim.”

“He, uh, he is my cousin.”

“Yes, yes, go on.” Villanelle wrinkled her forehead and motioned with her hand for him to continue. “Is he the man you were with today?”

“Yes.”

“Why did you see him?”

Omar paused for a second. 

“Don’t bullshit me!” Villanelle shouted angrily.

“I meet him at the hotel Fridays and Saturdays. He gives me money to put through the club. Then I make transfers to a bank. That’s it.”

Villanelle tilted her head and withdrew another nail from her pocket. 

“No, no, no! That’s all I know. I swear!”

She studied his behavior for a few seconds before returning the nail to her pocket. She found a piece of paper and a pen. “Tell me the name of the bank.” He did. “Tell me the account number.” He did. “If any of this information is inaccurate, Omar, I will come back for you, and things will not end so well. Do you understand?” He nodded. She got out her phone and took some photos of his contacts.

“What about the girls?”

“What? I don’t know anything about any girls. Please. I just run a club. That’s it,” he said, exhausted.

Villanelle threw his phone into the corner of the living room and got a knife from a kitchen drawer. “Wait ten minutes after I leave. Then you may cut yourself free. Do not talk to any police or anyone about this. Do you understand?” She grabbed his chin and forced him to look at her. “Say it. Say yes I understand.”

He looked up at her, scared, and said, “Yes, I understand.” She let his chin go. 

“When you take the nail out, rinse with water then apply pressure,” she said without eye contact or emotion. “Once the bleeding stops, put some antibiotic ointment on the wound and wrap up your hand with cloth. It’ll be fine.”

Villanelle took out her Glock and pointed it at Omar while she cut the tape, freeing the hand without the nail. She dropped the knife on the floor in front of him and backed away, pointing the Glock at his chest until she got to the door. “Goodbye Omar. I’ll be in touch,” she said before slipping out.

She walked briskly and dialed Eve as soon as she was a couple blocks from the house. Eve picked up right away. “Hey baby! I tried to call—”

“My ringer was off. Can you pick me up?”

“Yeah, where?”

“I’m heading north from Omar’s”

“Okay, I’m ten or fifteen minutes away. I’ll be there soon.”

“Call when you’re near,” Villanelle said.


	30. Chapter 30

Villanelle ducked into a cafe for coffee to wait for Eve. She smiled when she saw her lover pull up wearing sunglasses in their brown car. Villanelle got in and greeted her with a quick kiss. “Hi baby,” she said. 

“Heyyy,” said Eve. “How’d it go?”

“Good, good. I found out he has a cousin who brings him cash. I’d say that’s the guy we’re after. Omar doesn’t know anything.”

“You didn’t…” Eve looked at her hesitantly. 

Villanelle glanced at Eve out of the corner of her eye. “What?” She asked. 

“Kill him—”

“God, Eve, no!” She replied with a vigorous laugh. “You are so funny baby. I love you.”

Eve let out an awkward giggle. “I love you too.”

“I am so hungry. Do you want to go for lunch?” Villanelle asked. 

“Yeah, that sounds good.”

They drove back in the direction of headquarters. Eve relayed that she followed Omar’s companion to the docks. 

“His cousin Karim.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because he told me.”

“Oh… Well I lost him at the docks, but at least we have a new lead. Elena is gathering more intel.”

They went to a casual restaurant near headquarters and sat at a table for two near the back. The room had dim lighting and smelled of herbs and stewing vegetables. 

As they shared their respective morning activities, they grew more comfortable with the idea of working together long term. They communicated effortlessly and respectfully. They knew each other’s strengths. In such a short amount of time, they had become so close. 

“We’ve been through a lot together, haven’t we?” Eve said, in a moment of tender reflection. Villanelle’s eyes welled up with tears that would never fall. She reached across the table and held Eve’s hand. “Yes we have,” she whispered lovingly, “and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Eve pursed her lips and stared at Villanelle’s face. “You are straight from heaven.”

“More like hell,” Villanelle said pensively, “but all that matters is we are here together now, right baby?”

“Yes, absolutely,” Eve replied. “Let’s go look at apartments tomorrow. Seriously.”

“Okay.”

They enjoyed their meals, trading morsels from each other’s plates, then made their way back to headquarters to see what Elena had turned up.

Niko Polastri woke up around noon that day with a massive hangover. He couldn’t remember all the things he said to himself or the plans he made in his booze-fueled haze the night before, but he remembered the outrage. Someone stole his wife. He couldn’t just let that slide. People can’t be allowed to get away with things like that. He swore revenge, one way or another.


	31. Chapter 31

Eve and Villanelle arrived back at headquarters as the afternoon sun made warm squares on the desks. Elena had lots to say as they settled in.

“Okay,” she began, “Omar’s cousin is Karim Marwazi. Karim’s father owns the club. Karim’s brother is the registered owner of a boat and a storage unit at the Canary Wharf docks, where you followed him today, Eve. I found the exact address and unit number for you.” 

“Great work,” said Eve. “We’ve got to get a look inside that storage unit. What if he’s keeping the girls in there?”

“That would not be a fun place to be kept,” said Villanelle.

“There was a security booth at the gate,” Eve noted. 

“We could get around that,” said Villanelle, “but if there’s something valuable in the storage unit, they probably have private security as well. Here’s what we should do. Eve, let’s go scope it out from across the river. We need to figure out the best way to get in.”

“Okay. Elena, see if you can access any cameras in the area. Try to get footage of Karim or anyone else going into that unit over the past few days.”

“Got it,” Elena said. 

Villanelle took the keys off the desk, and Eve put the camera bag over her shoulder.

“Call Kenny if you need to,” Eve said to Elena just as Villanelle closed the door behind them. 

Once they were out in the hallway, Villanelle grabbed Eve by the elbow and spun her around. It was almost a violent movement, but she softened her touch when she positioned Eve against the wall. Eve’s body tensed at first but then relaxed as she felt her lover’s tongue enter her mouth.

“Oh,” Eve gasped. She instantly felt a pang of longing in her core. She took hold of villanelle’s upper arms, pressing herself against her. They kissed more, and their bodies rubbed together heatedly. But knowing they couldn’t continue here, they tapered off until their breathing slowed down.

“Whew, I couldn’t help myself. Sorry baby,” Villanelle said.

“Ugh, you tease!” Eve replied.

Villanelle flashed her a flirty smile. “Come on, let’s go.”

They drove to Canary Wharf and parked the car across the river from Karim’s storage unit. Villanelle peered across with the binoculars. 

“There it is,” she said. “I can see two cameras on the front of the unit. So… We’d have to take those out. There’s also some kind of security panel. We might need Kenny to hack into this. I’ve never seen a panel like that before.”

Eve snapped a few shots with the telephoto lens and sent them to Elena.

“Let’s go check out the back of the place. That might be a better way in,” Villanelle said as she lowered the binoculars.

They got back into the car and drove to the nearest bridge and crossed the river. The sun would set soon. At the back of the facility stood a high chain-link fence with coiled razor wire at the top. 

“Damn,” Villanelle said.

“Maybe we should come back in the morning to get a better look,” Eve suggested.

“Eve, no. This is the part of the job I was telling you about where you have to push beyond your regular human boundaries. You wanted to be out in the field, do what I do? We do not get to go home at 5 o’clock. What if there are people in that storage room? We have to get them out. We work all night. Whatever it takes. That’s the job.”

She looked at Eve firmly, focused, waiting for her response. 

“Right,” Eve said, “let’s do this.”


	32. Chapter 32

Eve’s phone buzzed. It was Elena telling her to expect two armed guards inside the unit.

“Shit,” Eve said. “Okay, call Kenny and see if he can meet us at the docks. Show him that security panel. We don’t know what kind it is. And have him bring some extra firepower.”

“I don’t think Kenny really does firepower,” Elena said skeptically. 

“Well, you know what I mean. Tell him to ask his mom.”

“And tell him to bring bolt cutters,” Villanelle added. 

“Bolt cutters too. Okay, bye.”

They hung up and Eve looked over at Villanelle, who was staring at the fence, thinking, planning. She said, “Eve, until you’ve had more combat training, I’m going to have to do some things alone.”

Eve felt a little inadequate hearing this. “I can do things too, Villanelle. I’ve been through some training. I can back you up. I can cover you.”

“Yes, I know, but for now, with hand-to-hand combat, firearms, you know, these are things I am very familiar and practiced with.” Villanelle tried not to sound condescending. “Tactically, I think the best option is for me to go in alone.”

“Hold on a minute. Let’s just wait for Kenny.”

Villanelle grew impatient thinking there could be hostages trapped in the unit. “If I can draw the guards outside, I can take them out one at a time.” She had a respectable determination, but Eve knew it would be smarter to wait.

“Look,” Eve said. “We’ll be better off if Kenny can hack in there first. We don’t know what we’re facing. Just wait half hour, okay?” Eve put her arms around Villanelle’s waist and looked up at her with pleading eyes. 

Villanelle sighed. “Wow,” she said. “You really have me wrapped around your little finger, don’t you?” She kissed her. “Okay. We will wait.”

When Kenny arrived, the two women were sitting on the small, grassy hill behind the storage facility. He had his laptop under one arm and a briefcase under the other.

“Hey,” he said. “Here.”

He handed the briefcase to Villanelle, who took great delight in finding a submachine gun inside. “Ooooh, nice,” she said with a grin as she checked to make sure it was loaded.

Kenny spoke up. “Listen, the panel in front is not just for security. It’s for controlling the temperature and humidity inside the storage unit.”

“What? Why?” Eve asked. 

“I don’t know, but it could be something volatile like chemicals or explosives,” he said. “So we can’t just go in guns blazing.”

“Aww,” Villanelle said with an exaggerated frown. Eve rolled her eyes.

“But,” Kenny continued, “I checked out the blueprints for this place. There’s a ventilation system we can access from the roof. If you get in through there and take out the guards then patch me into the security system, I can disable the alarms.”

He looked at Villanelle. “The problem is you only have about two minutes before the sensors detect the thermal differential caused by your body temperature.”

“So you’re telling me I have to climb onto the roof, go in through the vent, take out two guards, and patch you into the security system… in less than two minutes?” Villanelle asked. 

Kenny and Eve looked at each other nervously. “Yeah, that’s pretty much what I’m telling you.”

Villanelle raised her eyebrows and took a deep breath through her nose. “Okay,” she said as she exhaled.


	33. Chapter 33

Kenny handed Villanelle an earpiece communicator and a flash drive. “You’ll need to connect this drive to the security panel from the inside so I can take control of the system,” he said.

“How are you getting on the roof?” Eve asked.

Villanelle pointed to a drain pipe running down the outside of the building. “I can climb up there. Trust me. I’ve done this before.” She put the earpiece in. “Comms check.”

“Check,” said Kenny. He got the bolt cutters out of the car and walked down to the fence. He snipped the metal links to create an L-shaped opening big enough for Villanelle to fit through. They all convened at Kenny’s car, parked on the street just at the top of the hill.

“I’m going to take my Glock,” Villanelle said as she screwed on the silencer. “Eve, you keep the submachine gun as backup. If anybody comes after you out here, shoot first and ask questions later, got it?”

Eve nodded and put the strap of the gun over her shoulder. Kenny handed Eve an earpiece. “Here,” he said, “so we can both hear her.”

“Be careful,” Eve said to Villanelle with a worried glance that went unnoticed. 

“I will,” Villanelle replied. Her focus rested completely on the mission at hand now. She turned and walked to the opening in the fence, pulled it back from the corner, and stepped through. The sun had disappeared, but Eve and Kenny could still make out her figure moving in the dark. They watched as she methodically climbed up the drain pipe and onto the roof before disappearing.

Kenny opened his laptop. “So you two are an item?” he asked. 

“Who told you that?”

“Elena.”

Eve sighed. “Well yeah, I guess we are.”

“You’re not at all worried by the fact that she’s, you know, a psychotic assassin?”

“Kenny, come on,” Eve said as she smacked him lightly on the arm. “She was trained to do this job, but at heart, she’s a good person. She just wants normal things like anyone else. Sure, she can be immature and… quirky.”

“Quirky? She’s a killer!”

“It’s just a job, Kenny. Somebody has to do it. Seriously. She has real feelings. And she’s so smart. And thoughtful. And fun. And we’re in love.”

“Wow,” Kenny said. “Sounds heavy.”

“Yeah. It is.” Eve chuckled. “I think working with other people is good for her. Listen, I’m sorry about what happened in Rome. I’m sorry for the way I acted… toward you. I just got so caught up with everything, and I was being a jerk. But I hope you can forgive me. I like working with you.”

She admired Kenny. Though shy and awkward, he was a sharp young man with coveted skills. His connection to Caroline could also prove valuable.

“Yeah, it’s all good,” he said. “I just know how this job works. Getting involved with people like my mother and Konstantin… There’s a lot of drama, and it’s hard to navigate. I try to keep to myself mostly.”

“I can understand that. Well I appreciate your help today, Kenny, so thank you.”

“Sure thing. She should be in the vent by now.”

Villanelle detached the vent cover with a screwdriver Kenny gave her from his car. According to the building blueprints, she’d have a six foot drop from the roof into the horizontal shaft that lead to Karim’s storage unit.

She put her feet in first and used her upper body strength and the grip on the bottom of her shoes to lower herself down the aluminum passage deftly and quietly.

“I’m in the crawl space,” she whispered to Kenny and Eve when she got all the way down.

She belly crawled on her elbows through the dust in the small shaft toward the unit, breathing through her nose, her eyes wide and laser focused. When she came to Karim’s storage space, she paused to listen. She heard the muffled sound of tv audio.

The vent cover had a screw at each corner. She slowly removed the nuts and washers. The air felt cool and dingy. As she worked, she readied herself mentally for the challenge ahead. She would rely on her instincts, her combat training, and her marksmanship skills. The vent cover started to come loose.


	34. Chapter 34

Villanelle gripped the vent cover tightly with her fingertips in the openings of the grate. Taking care not to blow her cover by jostling a screw loose and letting it fall to the floor, she slowly pushed the rectangular piece of metal out into the room, turned it at an angle, and brought it into the shaft with her. She set it down, mindful not to bang it on the aluminum even once. A bead of sweat rolled down her forehead.

Without knowing the layout of the room, she had no preconceived plan. It was time to improvise. Since the vent opening was high on the back wall, it provided a glimpse of the whole room. Two rows of shelving systems lined the back wall. In front of those were a series of heavy duty black containers, each with digital readouts of some kind. No sign of hostages.

To the left of the front door, Villanelle saw the two guards sitting at a table watching a tv show on a tablet. They glanced occasionally at the monitors displaying the view from the security cameras outside. They didn’t seem to be expecting anyone, so Villanelle would have the element of surprise on her side. She knew she’d have to act fast because if she gave either one of them the time, he’d trigger an alarm that could compromise the whole mission and put Eve and Kenny in danger.

It occurred to her that she hadn’t included herself in that thought. Her own safety wasn’t a priority, perhaps out of arrogance or simply trusting in her own abilities, but either way, this realization gave her pause. She wondered why she lacked an instinct to care about herself in certain ways. Eve cared about her now. Maybe that was enough. Or maybe Eve’s love should make her want to love herself. Maybe that’s what love is for. But soldiers are supposed to be strong and independent. Soldiers are trained, and soldiers are… expendable. She scolded herself for losing focus.

She shook her head as if to free it from sentimentality. With a few deep breaths, she twisted and turned in the small space until her feet were ready to exit the vent. “I don’t see any hostages,” she whispered to Kenny and Eve. “I’m going in.”

She grabbed the screws from the vent cover and put them in her pocket before backing out of the opening and into the room. She slid down the wall until her arms were fully extended, but it wasn’t enough to reach the ground. She dropped the last few inches quietly like a cat and took cover between the back wall and one of the shelves. To draw the attention of the guards, she tossed the four screws across to the other side of the room.

The men rustled and got up from their table. “What the fuck was that,” one said. They both drew pistols. One turned off the tv show and the other began walking in the direction of the screws. Villanelle already had her Glock out, and when the guard peered behind one of the shelves, she took the shot. He slumped to the ground. His blood began pooling from the new opening in his skull.

The other guard pointed his pistol in the direction of the sound and fired. The first shot missed. The second grazed Villanelle’s left arm, and she let out a grunt. 

“Oh my god,” Eve said when she heard the shots and Villanelle’s voice. “What’s going on, Kenny?”

“Shh, just chill,” he said. “Give her a minute.” He stared at his laptop, waiting for the connection to come through.

Villanelle felt the wetness of her blood seeping into the fabric of her shirt sleeve as she stayed hidden behind the shelf. She crouched low to the ground and prepared to take aim at the other guard, who was walking toward her. She emerged swiftly and shot his leg—right in the kneecap.

“Arghh!” He cried. He stumbled backward, and Villanelle immediately jumped up and ran to attack him. She closed in just before he got his pistol pointed at her. Blocking his arm, she fired twice into his midsection with a reflexive look of cruel determination on her face.

He dropped to the ground in shock with fear in his eyes. Villanelle kicked his gun away from him and ran to the control panel to patch Kenny in with the flash drive. “It’s in,” she said, breathing heavily.

“Yes!” Kenny shouted as he typed furiously into his laptop. When he finished taking control of the system, he and Eve shared a look of relief.


	35. Chapter 35

“Are you in, Kenny?” Villanelle asked as she walked toward the crates.

“Yep, I have control of the system. Tell me what you see.”

“Two guards eliminated. Five huge crates with lots of numbers on the screens. Come to the front door,” she said. 

“On our way,” Kenny replied. In case anyone was watching remotely, he adjusted the feed of the security cameras to display a ten-second loop of inactivity at the front door. “Come on, let’s go,” he said to Eve.

Eve and Kenny climbed through the hole in the fence and walked around front. After Villanelle let them in, Kenny set his laptop on the table and began investigating the security system.

“You’re bleeding,” Eve said to Villanelle.

“Oh, yeah, it’s just a graze. A small cut. No worries.”

Eve touched her arm gingerly. Villanelle gave her an appreciative glance before turning to Kenny. “What’s in the crates?” She asked.

“I don’t know. I’m going to open one up.” He typed something on his laptop and the trio turned in unison when they heard the seal break on one of the crates. It hissed as the air lock released, and after a series of clicks, the lid opened by hydraulics. They walked over and looked inside. 

“Oh my god.”  
“Whoa.”  
“Holy shit.”

The crate contained three large missiles, clearly for military use.

“That’s why they needed to control the temperature and humidity,” Eve said. “Those things could blow up this whole dock.”

“Kenny,” said Villanelle, “I think you need to tell your mom to call the army. This is some serious artillery.”

“Right,” he said. He called Carolyn. 

Villanelle sprouted a childish grin. “Hey Eve, should we keep one as a souvenir? It could make a nice decor for our new apartment. Ha!” She patted one of the missiles with her hand and then pushed a button on the touchpad. It beeped. “Ooh,” she said, surprised.

“Jesus, Villanelle!” Shouted Eve. “Stop. Go see if you can find anything out about who those guards are.”

“You’re no fun.” Villanelle shot back. She sighed and collected the guards’ pistols then searched their pockets.

“Mercenaries,” she said. “No IDs. This one has a Navy Seal tattoo.” She shrugged.

Kenny came over with news from Carolyn. 

“She called her friend, a general in the army. They’re on the way now to pick these up. She said they intercepted some communications between Karim and a guy in Saudi Arabia about ‘15 girls,’ but they didn’t mean people, they meant these.”

“Wow,” Villanelle said. “I’m glad they were not people.”

“But still, these missiles could have ended up in the hands of some very bad people,” Eve said. “We stopped that from happening.” She walked over to the first body. The pool of blood had finished expanding. It was in the process of coagulating, darkening, and hardening. She looked at the man’s body. She couldn’t take her eyes off him, his face on the cement floor, eyes stuck half open, a single line of blood crossing his cheek. Eve smelled the metallic rancidness of the fresh blood. “But this person had to die,” she said solemnly. She walked over to the other guy. “And this person.”

Villanelle tilted her head and studied Eve’s movements. She remembered Eve was not used to being around bodies. Villanelle knelt down and put her fingers over the guard’s eyelids. “Look Eve,” she said. She made his eyes open freakishly wide. “Surprise!” She shouted. She threw her head back laughing, and Eve gave her a disgusted look. “Oh my god Eve, your face, you really need to lighten up,” she said, still laughing.

Eve folded her arms, unamused. Kenny watched in silence, somewhat astonished.

“Don’t forget,” Villanelle said in a more serious tone, “these are bad people. We did the world a favor.”

Kenny’s phone buzzed. It was Carolyn texting she’d be there in five minutes with the army.


	36. Chapter 36

“Nice work,” Carolyn said to Eve and Villanelle when she arrived. “Did you have to use it?” She pointed to the submachine gun still slung over Eve’s shoulder. 

“Oh, this? No. I just had it as backup.”

Villanelle asked Carolyn how she wanted to deal with the bodies. “I’ll call the local police commander and have them take it on.”

Kenny packed up and headed out. Carolyn explained that they picked up Karim, and she had operatives tracking the activity of funds being transferred between London and the Caymans and Saudi Arabia. It was a large-scale black market arms dealing operation with ties to Russia, and this was just a small piece of it.

“What did you make of Omar?” Carolyn asked. 

“I made an unforgettable impression on him,” Villanelle said. “He doesn’t seem deep into this. We should keep him where he is. Let him continue running the club, and with Karim locked up, see who else shows up. Plus I think he liked me, so if we need anything from him, I’m sure he’d be happy to help.” Villanelle giggled.

“Okay, sounds good.” Carolyn gave Villanelle a nod of approval. “Eve, I need to talk to you for a second.” She gestured her over to the corner. 

“Look, you need to deal with Niko.”

Eve knew this, but she was taken aback that Carolyn would bring it up just now. “Okayyy.”

“He called the office today, Eve. He sounded… agitated. Are you two getting a divorce?”

“Yeah. Things just didn’t work out between us.”

“Okay, well we can help you relocate him if you’d like, but something must be done. He’s a bit of a loose cannon. He was ranting on and on. Deal with it, okay?”

“Yes, got it. Will do. Sorry.”

Carolyn walked away, and Eve noticed Villanelle checking out one of the soldiers, a fit young woman with striking green eyes and thick black hair pulled back into a bun. As the soldier helped load a crate into the back of the army truck, she smiled subtly at Villanelle, who was leaning against the wall looking cute. 

Eve stepped in front of Villanelle to block her view of the hot soldier.

“Hey,” she said sharply. “Keep your eyes on the prize, bitch.” Eve was pointing to herself. 

Villanelle’s jaw dropped. “Ooh, yes daddy,” she replied with a sultry glance. 

Aroused by Eve’s forceful demand, Villanelle suppressed the urge to touch herself right there in the storage unit. A pressing desire for Eve’s body brewed within her.

“Eve,” she whispered, “I want you…” She gazed at Eve’s soft lips. “So bad.”

Eve smiled coyly and held back her urges too. She wanted desperately to kiss Villanelle, to rip her clothes off, to taste her.

Something about accomplishing their mission together inspired the erotic mood. The two women looked around them. Carolyn and Kenny were gone, and it seemed the army people had things under control.

“Can we… go?” Villanelle asked.

“Ah, yeahhh, I think we can go.”

“Cool. After you, baby.” Villanelle gestured toward the door. They walked around back and climbed through the hole in the fence. When they got up the hill to the car, Eve turned around and grabbed Villanelle’s face and kissed her hard. Villanelle moaned. She hoisted Eve onto the hood of the car and stood between her legs as they kissed, their bodies pressing against each other, their hands grasping at each other. 

“Oh my god I want you so bad,” Eve said longingly. 

Villanelle looked around, breathing heavily. “Eve, get in the car,” she said.


	37. Chapter 37

Eve opened the passenger door.

“Nope,” Villanelle said. “In the back.”

Eve got in the back and sat down with her feet still hanging out of the car, her face expectant. Villanelle checked the area of the quiet cul-de-sac where they were parked to make sure nobody was around before guiding Eve onto her back, crawling in on top of her, and shutting the door. 

She propped herself up with her right elbow on the seat. With her left hand, she caressed Eve’s hair and cheek, and then she spread her legs, putting one up on the seat back and the other on the floor. Villanelle positioned herself in between and pressed herself up against Eve’s body.

The way the dull, yellow street lamp illuminated Eve’s face with a golden shimmer almost made Villanelle cry. “I love you Eve,” she said. “You’re so beautiful.”

“Mmmm, I love you too baby.” Eve looked happy. She felt happy. She parted her lips, pulled Villanelle’s face to hers, and they kissed, lightly at first, then with building passion, their tongues teasing and exploring each other.

Eve bit Villanelle’s lip playfully and smiled. Villanelle smiled back and nudged Eve’s nose with hers. Then she moved Eve’s face to the side to expose her smooth, tender neck. She nibbled at it as she started grinding her pussy against Eve’s fervently. They still had their clothes on. A fire burned between their legs.

Villanelle took off her shirt and wadded it up before gently placing it under Eve’s head for a pillow. “Are you comfortable baby?” She asked. She was breathing heavier now, still pushing herself against Eve in rhythm. She could feel the wetness in her panties. 

Eve looked into her eyes tenderly. “Yes, my love,” she said. She cupped and caressed Villanelle’s breasts, squeezing her nipples. She ran her fingers along the creamy skin of her belly, gripping her sides as her hips moved back and forth. She traced the muscles of her back as they flexed with her motion. Eve became even more aroused feeling the tension and release of Villanelle’s muscles with her hands. 

The cramped quarters in the back seat prompted Villanelle to stop and adjust her position a little. Eve took the opportunity to reach into her pants and rub herself. She moaned with pleasure. She took her wet finger out of her pants and put it in Villanelle’s mouth. Villanelle almost fell off the seat from excitement when she tasted Eve. “Ohhhhh my god.” Eve gave her a sexy stare. 

She immediately ripped off Eve’s pants, struggling in the small space and banging her elbow on the window. She pulled down Eve’s underwear forcefully and put her face in between her legs.

Eve was dripping wet. She teased her pussy with her tongue, licking slowly back and forth with long, wide strokes and then taking it away to kiss her inner thighs. She slid one of her slender fingers into Eve and massaged inside while she teased Eve’s clit with the tip of her tongue. She slid in two fingers and picked up speed based on the response of Eve’s body. She repeated these techniques, licking up and down and massaging in and out, until Eve went crazy, groaning and thrashing in a joyous frenzy and finally convulsing in orgasm. She let out a shriek, and Villanelle moved up and embraced her fully. She held her tightly as waves of bliss coursed through her body. 

“Ohh… Ahhhh, Villanelle,” Eve moaned. Once her shaking body relaxed, Villanelle took off her own pants and panties, moved Eve’s legs back together, and mounted her. She rubbed her wet pussy back and forth against Eve’s mound until she was getting close to coming. She had her left hand on Eve’s shoulder, and she noticed the cut from her bullet graze had opened up. Blood ran down her arm and trickled onto Eve’s shoulder, neck, and hair. Villanelle didn’t want to stop. Eve didn’t notice the blood yet. Villanelle kept grinding and let some of the blood flow from her finger onto Eve’s face. She painted stripes on Eve’s cheek with her fingertips. Eve had her eyes closed. Villanelle’s lips formed a tiny smile in one corner. She was so turned on she lost herself completely, forgetting they were in a car parked on a quiet cul-de-sac, and she screamed and cried out in total ecstasy when she came, blood flying off her fingertips.

“Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh Eve,” she said, trying to catch her breath. She heaved and groaned. The inside of the car windows were fogged up from the heat of their love. Eventually Eve moved her legs toward the floor so they could both sit in a more relaxed position in the small space. They ended up sitting in the back like passengers. They looked at each other and just started laughing. The emotion was so intense. Laughter was all they had left in them. 

Villanelle reached over to take Eve’s hand, and that’s when Eve saw all the blood. “Oh my god, Villanelle, you’re bleeding!”

Villanelle put her head back and laughed again. “I know baby. Don’t worry. It’s just a little cut.”

“Are you okay?” Eve sounded genuinely worried.

“Yes baby. I’m okay.” She was exhausted. “Let’s go home. You drive,” Villanelle said weakly.

Eve realized how tired her lover was, and she knew she’d be too stubborn to admit it. After everything she’d been through today—surveillance, climbing up buildings, killing people, passionate lovemaking—she must be completely spent. But she’d say she was fine until she literally passed out from exhaustion. That’s just how she lived. Part of her training.

Eve knew what she had to do to take care of her now. She slipped back into her pants, guided Villanelle’s legs into hers, then got out and walked around to Villanelle’s door and opened it. She helped her out of the back and into the passenger seat. Eve got in the driver’s side and drove off toward their temporary home at the hotel. After a few blocks, Villanelle was fast asleep. Eve reached over and gently rested her hand on Villanelle’s thigh. “Rest well, my love,” she said.


	38. Chapter 38

Villanelle jerked awake when Eve jiggled her leg. “Come on, wake up. We’re home,” she said. Drained from the day’s activities, Villanelle needed help getting up to the room and out of her dirty clothes. 

“Lie down,” Eve said. She wet a washcloth with warm water and cleaned Villanelle’s wound. She slowly rubbed all the blood off her arm. The cut from the bullet was a couple inches long but not too deep. It wouldn’t need stitches. Eve bandaged it with supplies from the hotel first aid kit, got Villanelle a glass of water, and covered her with the blanket. “You really need to get some rest,” she said. She sat on the edge of the bed and stroked Villanelle’s hair. 

“Okay baby,” Villanelle responded quietly. She closed her eyes.

Eve got up and poured herself a glass of red wine. She sat at the table, lost in thought, looking back and forth from the view of London out the hotel window to Villanelle sleeping peacefully in their bed.

She envisioned their future together, doing normal things. Eve felt confident about it—that it would work—but she couldn’t ignore another feeling creeping in. Behind the invigoration of this new love lived fear. What if it didn’t work? Villanelle could be unpredictable. What if she couldn’t handle settling down the way Eve wanted to? Eve had already invested so much in this relationship that the thought of anything going wrong crushed her. No, don’t be paranoid, she told herself. We have established that our love is real, that we want the same things, and that is enough. Jumping into the unknown was always scary. Eve had to trust her gut that if she could make Villanelle happy, they would have a great life together.

Her thoughts turned to Carolyn and what she said at the storage unit. She’d have to call Niko soon. Even though he was bland and boring, she had loved him for many years. She expected the divorce to be sad and difficult and hoped Villanelle would show compassion. Life would be different without Niko’s support, his stability. She would have to provide those things for Villanelle from now on.

Between that and what she did to Raymond back in Rome, she was still reeling at the thought of how different she had become in just a few months. Different from the person she had been for so many years. She was a killer now? And a lesbian? She wasn’t sure what to call herself or if it mattered.

The wine made her drowsy. She climbed under the blanket and snuggled up close to Villanelle, who stirred and reached out when she felt Eve next to her. They fell asleep in each other’s arms. 

Villanelle woke first and showered. She tiptoed around to keep from disturbing Eve’s sleep. When dressed and ready to go, she sat on the foot of the bed and stared at the perfect picture before her. What she saw was the piece of her life that had been missing all these years. Eve. Villanelle felt complete now. She took in the moment. She was truly happy. She rubbed Eve’s leg softly and gave her the sweetest smile when she roused.

“Hi,” Eve said groggily.

“Good morning, beautiful,” Villanelle replied. “I’ll go get us some breakfast.”

“Okay. Thank you.” Eve yawned. 

She looked so sleepy and cute that Villanelle couldn’t resist pouncing on her and kissing her. Eve giggled under the covers. They looked into each other’s eyes.

“I love you Eve.”  
“I love you too Villanelle.”

“We’re going to go look at apartments today, yes?”

“Yeah, lets do it. I can’t wait.”

“Okay. I’ll be back in a bit.”

Just after Villanelle left the hotel room, Eve’s phone buzzed. Unknown number. She ignored it and got in the shower.


	39. Chapter 39

Eve dried off and checked her phone. New voicemail. She put the phone between her shoulder and ear to listen while she got dressed, stopping abruptly when she heard Niko’s voice say her name. 

“Eve, we need to talk.”

A long pause.

“We can’t just let things end… like this. It’s not… it’s not right, Eve.”

His voice was shaky. Was he drunk? In the morning?

“After all these years… and this psycho comes along…”

His emphasis on the word “psycho” made Eve very uncomfortable.

“Listen,” he continued, “just call me. We need to talk.”

A chill traveled down her neck and through her arms. Villanelle came in just as Eve set down her phone. When she saw the worry on Eve’s forehead, she asked what was wrong.

Eve sighed. “I guess Carolyn gave him my number. That was Niko.”

“Oh yeah?” Villanelle tried not to sound too annoyed. Dealing with Niko was inevitable of course, but she did not look forward to it. “What did he say?”

“He wants me to call him.” Eve looked up at Villanelle to gauge her response. 

Villanelle looked away, got the breakfast out of the bags, and began setting it out on the table. “So are you going to call him?” She put her hands on her hips and looked directly at Eve.

Eve finished getting dressed. “Yeah, I mean I have to, right?”

They stared at each other for an awkward moment.

“You know what, Eve? I don’t like him. He’s creepy, he’s lame, and he’s lucky I haven’t sliced his fucking throat yet.” Villanelle continued arranging their breakfast. 

“Look, I just need to talk to him about getting my stuff and selling the house. That’s it. Then he’ll be out of our lives.” She knew she’d have to handle this carefully.

“Yeah, well he better be. Because if he lays a finger on you, I will fucking kill him.” Her jaw clenched and her nostrils flared as she spoke. She shouted briefly in Russian. “You know what? You are not to see him alone. I will come with you.”

“Okay baby,” Eve said. “Let’s just eat our breakfast.”

They ate with little conversation, the satisfaction of their finished mission and the enthusiasm of going to look for apartments now tainted by Niko’s presence in their minds.

“Thanks for getting breakfast,” Eve offered.

Villanelle raised her eyebrows and gave an obligatory nod but didn’t look at Eve. 

“The cantaloupe is good. Is it from the place right downstairs?”

“Yeah, I like cantaloupe. It’s good.”

“Oh, me too. Cantaloupe is so good.” Eve tore off a piece of croissant and put it in her mouth.

Their awkward conversation ended when Villanelle got up and went into the bathroom, slamming the door. Eve chewed slowly, nervously, waiting for an outburst. 

In the bathroom Villanelle tried to maintain her composure. She recognized this feeling, the rage coming on. The heat of her anger would travel from her belly to her chest to her neck to her head until it exploded from her eyes and blinded her. She wanted to control this. She needed to confront this. She took a deep breath and steadied herself.

The bathroom door opening startled Eve. Villanelle’s tight-lipped smile, tinged with a madness, gave Eve a clue that she had a plan, she wanted to act. 

“Let’s get this over with.” Villanelle handed Eve her phone. “Call him.”

Eve’s mouth hung open with chewed croissant in it as she looked up at Villanelle. She took the phone and dialed on speaker.

“Eve,” Niko said rather frantically. “Hi. Are you there? Eve?”

“Yes, hi Niko.”

“Eve, oh my god. We need to talk. Where are you?”

Eve looked at Villanelle, who shook her head. 

“I’m in London. Look, Niko…” Eve massaged her temples with her thumb and forefinger. “We have to figure out what we’re going to do with the house, and all our things, and…”

“Yeah, I know,” he interrupted. “That’s fine, but we need to talk. About us, and you, and what you’re doing… Are you with her?”

“Yes she is,” Villanelle interjected loudly.

A pause.

“Eve, when can we talk? Alone.”

“You don’t need to talk to her alone. You can talk to her right now. What you need to do, Niko, is leave town. Just go somewhere, so she can pick up her things from the house,” Villanelle said sternly.

“Eve, meet me at the park where we used to sit. Tomorrow afternoon.”

Click. He hung up.

Eve looked up at Villanelle, who stood staring at the phone on the table. Their first of several appointments to view apartments today was in twenty minutes.

“Let’s go. We have our appointment. I’ll drive,” Villanelle said as she picked up the keys from the table.

“What are we going to do about Niko?”

“I’m thinking about that, Eve. Still thinking.”

They drove off in hopes of finding the first apartment they’d share as a couple. Both of them imagined what the place might look like. They pictured living together, interacting in different spaces. Anticipation, apprehension, excitement. Life is never boring when you follow your heart and live for the moment.


	40. Chapter 40

Villanelle and Eve met the realtor in front of an apartment building on a bustling street. She showed them inside to a large loft with bay windows. Eve stood listening to the list of amenities while Villanelle perused the perimeter of the room. She walked slowly with her hands clasped behind her back. Eve interrupted the realtor’s spiel with questions about the construction, the neighborhood, the neighbors. She pointed and gesticulated in a way that Villanelle found endearing.

Afterward, Villanelle asked Eve what she thought. “I like it. Lots of light. How about you?”

“Yeah, really nice. I like the tall ceiling. I could see us here.”

They decided to think on it, so they thanked the realtor and left. As they walked back to the car, Eve grabbed Villanelle’s hand and pulled her close. “I’m so looking forward to living with you,” she said.

Villanelle’s heart swelled. “Your smile gives me life, do you know that?” She kissed Eve gently, staying close to whisper, “I can’t believe how soft I am for you.” Then she laughed in that borderline crazy way of hers and put Eve’s face in her hands. “We will get whatever place makes you happy, my darling Eve. Let’s go. On to the next one!”

They looked at three places they weren’t too fond of before coming to one they both instantly loved. It was a brownstone townhouse with the entire garden level available for rent. It offered a private entrance and a little backyard. On one side of the two-story building stood a quaint artisan bakery and on the other side a dwelling where a friendly looking middle-aged man played joyfully with his dog. The neighborhood had a good vibe, warm and welcoming. After the walk through, they looked at each other and knew it was the one. Since it was fully furnished and available to move in the next day, they signed the lease on the spot. The owner was a nice old woman who lived upstairs and promised not to bother them. They left with the keys, hand in hand, blissful and spirited. This would be their last night at the hotel. 

The sun hung low and lit their faces orange as they drove. 

“The backyard will be perfect for a garden,” Eve said.

“And a dog.”

“Oh yes! A dog.” Eve closed her eyes and smiled. “I can’t wait.”

“After we get settled into the new place, let’s go to the animal shelter,” Villanelle suggested. Eve agreed. She loved that idea. The conversation stopped as their minds grew occupied imagining the events of move-in day tomorrow and the future ahead. Eve thought about getting a dog dish and dog food and where in the yard was the best place for her garden. Villanelle thought mostly about security, where she would stash weapons, and what kind of alarm system to get. 

Back at the hotel, Eve brought up the dreaded topic as they ate their dinner. “So I was thinking, I can handle Niko. I know you want to go with me, but I think I should just go talk to him and get it over with.”

Villanelle looked at her skeptically. “Okay, if that’s what you want baby.” Villanelle had no intention of letting her go alone. 

Surprised by her concession, Eve said, “Good. Then I’ll just meet him at the park like he asked. It’s a public place, so nothing will happen. I’ll call you if it seems weird.”

“Okay. I’ll drop you off at the park, but I’m going to stay close by.”

They finished eating and started packing the belongings they acquired since running off together in Rome. Besides their clothes for the morning, everything was gathered by the door and ready to go.

They cuddled in bed watching tv before falling asleep. Anxiety brought a restless night of tossing and turning and dreaming in themes of confusion and darkness. When the first light of sun seeped in, they were both relieved to wake and leave the hotel behind for good.

They met the old woman in the morning as planned. She showed them around where they could find everything—the thermostat, the fuse box, a tool kit in the closet. Lastly, she opened the oven to reveal a fresh baked blueberry pie. She had made it as a welcome gift. Eve and Villanelle looked at each other surprised.

“This is so sweet of you.”

“How lovely. Thank you very much.”

The old woman said it was the least she could do and then left them alone to acclimate to their new home. They walked around adjusting things to their liking and discussing the changes they would make and items they would buy to customize the environment to suit their style. 

When it was time to meet Niko, Villanelle prepped Eve by outfitting her with the little pistol in the ankle holster and telling her to trust her instincts. 

“Look at me baby. If anything seems off, just walk away. Or run. I will be nearby, okay?”

Eve bit her lower lip and nodded. “Don’t worry, I got this,” she said. Her wrinkled brow revealed that she didn’t entirely believe herself.

Villanelle dropped Eve at the corner of the park. She walked toward the spot where she and Niko used to sit. After parking the car, Villanelle put on sunglasses and a baseball cap, got out, and began tailing Eve. Niko sat on the bench looking disheveled. 

Villanelle watched them carefully as they spoke. She analyzed Niko’s body language for signs of aggression. She studied Eve for indications of stress or fear. 

Everything seemed copacetic, but then the two started walking in the direction of their house. This was not part of the plan. Villanelle disliked seeing Eve with Niko but she suppressed her feelings because all of her focus was needed to carry out the number one objective, protecting Eve. She followed them to the house and snuck around to the side window when they went inside. 

Niko had been calm and reasonable outside, but now he became agitated. 

“Eve,” he said, “I just don’t understand what kind of a life you think you’re going to have with that psychopath.”

He was incredulous. Eve looked at him blankly. 

“She’s a murderer, Eve. A murderer!”

Eve had no desire to explain to Niko that Villanelle was a perfect companion, protective, funny, intelligent, passionate. She didn’t feel she owed it to him or that he even deserved to know how much Villanelle loved her, cared for her, and pleased her. She just didn’t have it in her to explain to him that Villanelle was a generous person with so much love in her heart who was just a bit lost and happened to be really good at her unusual job. 

So she said, “You know what Niko? It’s none of your fucking business. Fuck this. Fuck you. I’m leaving. We’ll deal with this through lawyers.”

Niko grabbed her arm violently. “Oh you’re not going anywhere,” he said. 

Eve gasped. “Let go of me!” she said.

Niko covered her mouth with his hand. “Shut up!” he commanded. He pushed her down to the floor. 

Villanelle circled the house. She couldn’t see them from the side window. 

Niko stood over Eve unbuckling his belt. “You fucked up my life. Now I’m going to fuck up yours.”

Although the following moment seemed to occur in slow motion, it happened in an instant. Eve reached down to her ankle holster, pulled out the pistol, and shot Niko twice in the chest. His eyes widened. He clutched his torso. He fell. He took a few last gasps of air before the life drained from his eyes.

Eve was on her back propped up on her elbows when Villanelle came in through the back window. She oriented herself then looked at Eve the way she had after Eve killed Raymond—surprised and a little proud. 

“What did you do baby? Are you okay?”

Eve looked up but didn’t say anything. She was shook. Villanelle took the gun from her hand.

“Eve, get up. I need you to help me move this body into the bathroom.” Eve stood up slowly while staring at Niko’s body.

“I just… He was…”

“Eve, listen. It’s done. It’s over. We can talk about it later, but right now,” Villanelle raised her voice. “I need you to focus.”

Eve nodded her head, still staring at Niko’s corpse on the floor of their house.

“Grab the leg.”

They pulled the body to the bathroom and lifted it into the tub. Villanelle instructed Eve to clean any blood off the floor in the living room and place all the materials that came into contact with the blood into a bag.

“Do you have a machete?” Villanelle asked. 

“Yeah,” Eve replied. 

“Bring it to me. Do you have black plastic garbage bags?”

“Yeah.”

“Bring them all.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I will dismember the body, and we’ll take it out of here in the bags. Then we’ll bury it or something. I don’t know yet. We can figure that out later. We can say you came to pick up some things and he was fine when you left. We’ll say he always talked about going to America and he must have just run off. Go get the machete, Eve.”

Eve scrubbed the living room floor where her husband had been standing just moments before. She moved the towel back and forth while staring off into the distance. Her mind raced, fluctuating between panic and anxiety, indifference and guilt. She started to think maybe she was crazy. Maybe she had really lost it. But she knew she had no choice except to walk boldly into the future and face whatever waited ahead on the path she created for herself.

Villanelle grunted as she worked kneeling beside the tub. Cutting through all the tendons and ligaments to separate the limbs took a lot of grueling physical work. But she had done this before. She told Eve just to stay out.

When the job was done, she bagged up all the parts, cleaned out the tub, and asked Eve to get the car and pull it around back. Dusk had arrived. The night would give them cover. Villanelle’s muscles ached from the labor, but her mind felt at ease. Niko was a loose end she wouldn’t have to worry about any more. 

They loaded the bags into the trunk and drove to their new home in silence. Villanelle stashed the body parts in a corner of the basement that was cool enough to slow putrefaction for the rest of the night at least. The landlady already gave permission to dig up the backyard for Eve to make her garden, so that would be their cover. They would bury Niko deep in the backyard the next day.

After they showered, they discussed the plan in detail, and Villanelle assured Eve everything would be okay. For some wild reason, Eve believed her. She just had to. They were smart and they had worked out all the details. It would be fine. Feeling the air of a fresh start, they embraced in the middle of the room in their new home, comforted completely by each other’s arms. 

Eve started chopping up some vegetables on the counter after they realized they had hardly eaten anything all day. Villanelle put on some music—Beethoven’s seventh symphony, her favorite. She sat on the bar stool watching Eve and feeling content. Eve looked adorable in her silk bathrobe cutting the food. Just as the haunting chromatic cellos came in, Villanelle approached Eve from behind and bent her forward over the counter.

“Ooh, hello,” Eve said as she put down the knife. Villanelle pressed herself against Eve from behind and reached down to rub between Eve’s legs. She wasn’t wearing any underwear. As Villanelle’s hand moved gently and steadily, she felt the wetness emerge onto her fingertips. Eve spread her legs wider to welcome her girlfriend’s touch. The lovers moaned together, Villanelle pressing herself against Eve’s backside. Eve’s legs began to shake as Villanelle rubbed faster and faster in response to Eve’s desperate pleading. But Villanelle couldn’t resist a taste, so she turned Eve around, got on her knees, and put Eve’s pussy in her mouth. Eve grabbed Villanelle’s head and fucked her sexy mouth until she came so hard she let out an ecstatic wail. 

The symphony was nearing its dramatic conclusion, and Villanelle was so turned on she knew she would come soon. She took off her robe as she stood up, sliding her body along Eve’s all the way. Their eyes locked. Villanelle put Eve’s hand between her legs and guided her movements, slowly back and forth, then faster, until her whole body quivered with pleasure, and all of the tension within her transformed into a mellow bliss.

After they caught their breath, they stood in the kitchen kissing lightly for a few minutes before making the food.

“Whew,” Villanelle said. “You are something else.”

“Ditto baby.”

The next day they dug up the back yard and buried Niko’s body. Eve planted a garden that would eventually yield robust and delicious vegetables.

As the weeks went by, they settled nicely into the neighborhood and their new life together. Carolyn called them for jobs occasionally, simpler missions—security, surveillance—but they were ready for whatever came along. Villanelle trained Eve in target practice, hand-to-hand combat, and general mission tactics. They made a good team. They earned enough to pay the bills and live without want. 

One day they finally drove to the animal shelter to rescue a dog. As soon as they went in, Villanelle asked which dog had been there the longest. Eve looked at her with admiration when she heard this. She knew that compassion for animals showed true character. The staff person led the couple to a medium sized cage toward the back of the main room. 

A sweet boy, a mutt with a beautiful patchy coat, huddled inside. He looked up with a desperate stare that grabbed heir hearts fully. When the cage door opened, he slowly walked over to Eve and Villanelle and sat down. They pet him and he wagged his tail hesitantly. They looked at each other and knew he was already part of the family. They took him home. He was perfect. He loved to cuddle, go for walks, and hang around the back yard to keep Eve company when she gardened.

“What should we name him?” Eve asked. 

Villanelle thought for a moment and said, “How about Chance?”

“Chance,” Eve repeated. They looked at the dog. “Yeah, I think that suits him perfectly.” Eve wondered what made Villanelle choose that name. Was it the coincidence of them walking in on that particular day to find the perfect dog? Or was it something deeper, something related to the way the two of them came together as a couple? When she asked, Villanelle shrugged and said, “Oh, it’s my favorite perfume.” Eve laughed and rolled her eyes.

“I love you Villanelle.”  
“I love you too Eve.”

Eve was gardening one day when Villanelle came outside and told her about a new hairdo she was getting. Her hair had been a mess since the self cut and quick dye job she did in the library bathroom back in Italy. She showed Eve a picture of how she planned to get it done.

“See, like my friend Jas on Twitter.”

Eve looked at the picture and saw pink hair with a stylish angled cut. “That looks amazing,” she said. “It will be so cute on you. Wait, you’re on Twitter?”

Villanelle looked at Eve like she was crazy. “Yeah, duh. You’re not on Twitter?”

Eve said “No, I’m not on Twitter.” She was harvesting zucchini that day. 

“Oh you should get on there. My other friend Jess gardens. Wait until you see this.” Villanelle scrolled on her phone. She showed Eve a picture of Jess’s huge zucchini. 

Eve smiled. “Wow, I’m impressed. That woman knows how to grow a zucchini.”

“Yeah, right?” Villanelle replied. “She has a great blog too.”

Eve said, “So I’ll make dinner tonight. I finally met the neighbor guy, and he’s really nice. I invited him over later. He’s going to bring his dog to play with Chance.”

“Okay, that sounds good.” Villanelle kissed her goodbye and headed to her hair appointment. After a couple hours, Eve called. 

“Hey, can you pick up some wine for dinner?” She asked. 

“Sure. After I get done here.”

“Wait, you’re still in the hair salon?”

“Yeah. These things take time. I have to look good for you baby.”

Eve sighed. “You always look good. See you soon.”

When Villanelle arrived home, the neighbor was already hanging out in the backyard with Eve. “Wow, your hair looks great my love,” she said excitedly. 

Villanelle did a little turn to show off her new style. “Thank you,” she replied with a smile. 

“Honey, I want you to meet our neighbor. This is Luke.”

The man sported a neatly trimmed gray beard, black glasses, and a baseball cap. His dog was frolicking in the grass with Chance.

“Nice to meet you, Luke,” Villanelle said as she reached out to shake his hand. 

“Very nice to meet you, Villanelle.”

Eve continued, “Luke is a writer, some kind of journalist?”

“Yes,” he replied. “I’ve written some novels too. They’ve done pretty well.”

“Oh that’s wonderful,” Villanelle said. “Congratulations.”

Luke smiled graciously. Villanelle got the wine glasses and put them out on the little round table they had set up outside. “Baby what’s for dinner?” she asked. 

“I’ve made shepherd’s pie,” Eve said. 

With their dogs playing nearby, the three sat around the table all evening talking, eating, drinking, and laughing. Like normal people do.


End file.
